Pull the Trigger
by monochromez
Summary: The mafia. A cold-hearted, unforgiving organization. Filled with baby assassins, overly dramatic lunatics, crazy people who wanted to experiment on him, and – was that a shape-changing chameleon? Sawada Hiroyuki had never felt so lost. Next Gen.
1. Forget Me Nots

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

_A Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Next Generation fic_

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira. I do not claim to own anything in regards to her work, because frankly, I'm not that brilliant in the drawing department.

**Summary: **The mafia. A cold-hearted, unforgiving organization. Filled with baby assassins, overly dramatic lunatics, crazy people who wanted to experiment on him, and – was that a shape-changing chameleon? Sawada Hiroyuki had never felt so lost.

**Warnings: **For this chapter, there's nothing major, just the usual insanity of a khr fan, haha. As the story develops, there will be darker undertones and the rating may go up, but for now I'll keep it at a safe 'T', mostly because some of the characters have potty mouths.

**Author's Note: **There's a lot I want to say about this project, but I'll tone it down because reading an extra long a/n isn't the best way to start off a story, ne? I originally came up with the idea for this after concentrating exclusively on the Guardians growing up and having children and carrying on with the next generation. You can blame it on Ryohei, and by extension Hana. I couldn't get the image of them having a daughter out of my head and _really_ wanted to write that for a multitude of reasons. However, with that came ideas for cousins and well, I couldn't help but turn this into a next generation fic. Surprisingly I already know where this story is going, which is rare for me, but the ending is already planned out in my mind. As a fair enough warning, I'll admit this story might end up being excruciatingly long.

I have so much planned for this. I just hope I don't lose my motivation and drive because it would be a pity. I've grown rather attached to this. It's sort of a challenge to my self and I hope to see it through. Will work out a schedule for this eventually. For a heads-up, this is going to be kind of slow until Reborn's introduction later down the road. And as far as pairings go, wait and see.

All right, that about wraps it up for this long-winded author's notes, on to the story.

* * *

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Warning One: Forget-Me-Nots**

It was a quiet, peaceful morning in the Sawada household: an average, ordinary, routine morning. The mother was downstairs in the kitchen fixing breakfast, the father was still asleep in bed upstairs, and the kids – well, the kids were sneaking down the stairs, fully intending to play a prank on their mother. The shorter of the two, a young girl, giggled and poked at the fake mouse swinging from her brother's hand. "Mom's going to freak when she sees this," she whispered in a mischievous manner. "We just need to be careful not to wake up dad 'cause he'll -"

"He'll what?" a tired voice asked from behind them. Caught, the two children had no other choice but to turn around and face the speaker, trying their best to look as innocent as possible. "Hiroyuki," the man was barely awake but that didn't mean he was stupid, "what's that behind your back?" Disapproval written all over their father's face, a hand was held out, palm up. "Hand it over." Hiroyuki, obedient to a fault, placed the fake mouse in his father's outstretched hand as was expected of him. "Really now. Lambo-kun can be such a bad influence on the two of you."

"Lambo-occhan's fun, though," mumbled the girl obstinately, crossing her arms and pouting. "Unlike some people." She heard twin sighs, but refused to look at either of them. To her, Hiroyuki was always giving in far too easily and her father, well, he was the type who could be such a worrywart sometimes.

"Emiko," her father started sternly, "you and your brother both know better than to -"

"Tsu-kun, you're up already?" A pretty woman with dark blond hair came around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, smiling up at her family. "Ah, and so are the kids! Great, great. Breakfast is ready. Come and eat." The kids didn't have to be told twice, already making a mad dash for their food after wishing their mother a good morning, thoughts of pranks and punishments cast out of their mind for the moment. Yes, a perfectly normal morning indeed.

Taking the stairs one at a time, differing from his lively children, Tsuna reached the downstairs floor at a more languid pace. It gave him a chance to have a rare moment alone with his wife and he appreciated that greatly as he wrapped his arms around her as soon as he was close enough. "Well, they're sure full of energy," he commented before grinning into a kiss that she surprised him with. "Hello to you too," Tsuna teased. Fatigue getting the better of him though, he rested their foreheads together and closed his eyes. He found it far too early to be awake. "Hn, do we really have to start a new day already? Let's just go back to bed, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko laughed as she ran her fingers up his neck and into his hair, playing with the untamable brown locks. "But you're already up. You'll oversleep if you do that," she reasoned. One of his eyes opened, observing her expression quietly. Her smile lost a little of its sincerity when she spoke next, asking softly, "Long night?" He winced and pulled away from her, finding it far easier to look anywhere but at her. "You didn't come home until a quarter after two." There was accusation in her voice, a demand to know where he had been and why.

He wasn't surprised that she had waited up, though. She always did. What did surprise him was he hadn't noticed for once. Last night was mostly a blur to him, starting after work and ending when he had made it home. As soon as his head had found a pillow last night, he had been out. The life he was living was catching up with him, threatening to overwhelm not only his body and mind but his entire existence. Despite knowing that, there was nothing he could do to stop it. "I'm sorry," he apologized in a voice barely above a whisper. He may have resigned himself to the current life he lived, but that didn't make him like it any better than he had some twenty odd years ago. "Something kind of came up unexpectedly."

"Something is always coming up unexpectedly," Kyoko replied, "that's not what bothers me and you know it. I want to know what's going on, Tsuna. You have to talk to me. It wasn't work, was it?" Her husband was still being stubborn and looking anywhere that wasn't her, but she caught the slightest shake of his head that proved her doubts well-based. "Was it your _other _work?" she hazarded, beginning to worry. He shook his head once more, but the uncertain frown on his face gave him away. "It was him again, wasn't it?" There was such force behind the question this time, much more so than with the others.

Tsuna whispered an exhausted, "Yeah," knowing who she meant. "It seems like things are getting worse. I don't," and here his voice broke somewhat, making it hard to continue, "I don't know how much longer I can stop what's coming. Any of it. The kids … they're going to get dragged into this, Kyoko. And it's going to be all my fault."

"We need to tell them," Kyoko said abruptly, looking determined. "They deserve to know."

The immediate response was, "Not now." Tsuna hung his head, eyes shut tight. "Not right now. Soon we'll have no choice, but … right now they need stability, a life without those worries. Every day it gets worse, Kyoko-chan, but I can still protect them. And I will, with everything I have." He looked up, hoping to catch her gaze, but realized by then she had already turned her back on him and headed into the kitchen.

Grimacing, he followed. _It's not like you're wrong, Kyoko-chan_, he thought to himself wearily._ I just … I don't want them to get mixed up in this yet. They're not ready. What could they possibly hope to gain in a world that only means them harm?_ When he walked in and saw his children laughing and smiling and joking like everything was still perfectly normal, Tsuna couldn't say with any certainty he had made the _wrong_ decision. Nor had it been the best of choices, but he could live with that. As long the two of them were happy, he could live and die with no regrets. Kyoko would just have to forgive him. He couldn't give up on the only normality he had left, not yet.

- XI -

Sawada Hiroyuki was deep in thought. So deep in thought he didn't even notice the person sneaking up on him from behind until his eyes were covered and everything went dark. "Hiiie! Cut it out, Daichi!"

Someone laughed and whispered near his ear, "How did you know it was me?" The hands were removed a split second later, giving Hiro the opportunity to tilt his head back to get a better view of his friend. He was the same as always, dark hair spiked up in all directions, almost to the point of being utterly ridiculous, and an unflappably warm smile that went along with caring eyes and an honest face. Hiroyuki narrowed his eyes in a warning manner, not in the mood for any happy-go-lucky advice today. "Aw, lighten up, you'll give yourself a headache like that," Daichi insisted jokingly, "man, you never change. Hmm, so what's a matter? Did something happen?"

"Nothing," Hiro answered at once, a little too fast to be true. He returned his attention back to the meal in his lap, the one he had been mindlessly eating only a few moments ago. Lunchtime, today, was not as enjoyable as it should have been. "It's nothing, leave me alone."

This just made his friend try harder. "Your sister's not here." The taller boy glanced around the rooftop where Hiro usually ate lunch, mostly for show. He had noticed it earlier, but dismissed it as nothing. Apparently nothing was something these days. "Did you two have a fight?"

Pushing his bento box away, lacking the appetite to finish, Hiro shook his head. "No. I just told her I needed some time to myself." Daichi sat down beside him without being asked, bumping their shoulders together lightly. "And you," Hiro complained, "are interrupting my alone time."

"Well, yeah. Can't have you moping all day," commented Daichi idly as he reached over and stole a California roll from his friend's abandoned lunch. "And anyway," he continued, mouth full of food now. "Don't you think it's weird?" Hiro made a face at his friend's lack of etiquette, but said nothing. "You have to!" Daichi was adamant about whatever was on his mind. "I mean, come on. Two new transfer students appearing out of nowhere? Something's definitely weird."

Hiroyuki wasn't impressed. "They have their reasons. Don't start any rumors."

The other boy shrugged and admitted, "Really don't have to. There are plenty of them going around school already." Daichi chuckled slightly and went on, "And get this, most of 'em are about them being secret agents or something like that. I would believe it myself, if it wasn't for that girl. She's too loud to be anything close to secret."

Interested now, Hiro asked, "You're in the same class as one of them?"

"Both actually," explained Daichi with another shrug. He grabbed another roll and bit into it before going on. "They're really weird."

"Yeah, no, I got that." Hiro rolled his eyes. "But what's so weird about them?"

"Haha, I win," replied Daichi happily. "You've stopped moping!"

A slight grin from Hiroyuki accompanied that, grateful to have a friend who would go to such lengths to get his mind off what was bothering him. Then again, it didn't stop him from delivering a bit of a reprimand, "You idiot. Weren't we talking about those transfer students? Don't just go randomly changing the subject!" He threw a playful punch at his friend's shoulder, laughing a bit himself. "Oi, when are you going to actually grow a brain up there?"

Daichi appeared to seriously think that question over. When he reached a conclusion of sorts, he brightly declared, "Afraid that's not going to happen today. Why don't you try again tomorrow?"

Rolling his eyes again, Hiro thought one thing and one thing only: his friend would never change. He didn't necessarily consider that a bad thing. Daichi was Daichi and that was that. He kind of hoped his friend would stay that way too. In a world where things were constantly changing, it was only his best friend that seemed to stay true to who he was, as if to purposely defy all odds. He liked that most about Daichi. He was someone to rely on. Nothing would have to change as long as Daichi was by his side. That was what he liked to think and he stuck by that whole-heartedly. "Maybe tomorrow," Hiro agreed quietly, staring down at his hands folded neatly in his lap but not really seeing them. "Let's hope not." He scrunched up his nose, suddenly having a scary thought. "You having a brain would mean Armageddon for sure!"

It was only Daichi that could make lunch a time for good-natured fun and jokes, and less about reflection. Daichi hadn't even insisted to know what was on his mind, preferring to let him talk when he felt like talking. _He knows I'll tell him, anyway. Just like he knows it'll be on my terms, not his._ He chuckled lightly and swatted Daichi's hand away when the taller boy went to steal more food from his bento out of retaliation. "Oh no you don't."

"Hey! What was _that_ for?" There was an exaggerated pout on his friend's face now as he rubbed at his hand.

"I'm hungry too. And that means," Hiro stressed, exasperated, "don't go eating all my food, idiot!" So saying, Hiro tossed a bit of rice at the other boy. "But you can have that, if you want. Since that's all you'll be getting." It marked the beginning of a full-out food war.

- XI -

"You have rice in your hair," someone pointed out from behind him. Hiroyuki slowly turned to face the person, embarrassed, and hurriedly tried to brush the rice out of his messy blond hair. "As fascinating as your choice of a hair accessory is," continued the person who had approached him during the lull in practice, "I personally just wanted to know if you had the time. Do you have a watch on you, Sawada-kouhai?"

"Y-Yeah," stumbled out Hiroyuki, flustered. He tightened his grip on the bow in his hands, unsure what to do or say next. It wasn't unusual for an upperclassman to approach a younger student for a favor, but it was unusual for this particular upperclassman. Nakamura Michi wasn't the type to talk to anyone, let alone a kouhai who held little to no seniority in clubs or school.

Michi stared at the blond expectantly, seconds dragging into inevitable minutes. When at last the older boy grew tired of the waiting game, he took the initiative. "Do you happen to know how to read it, maybe?"

"Ah!" If Hiro had been embarrassed before, he was completely mortified now. "It's five of five," the younger boy said in a rush as he glanced at his watch. "Does Nakamura-senpai have somewhere to be?" He had blurted it out without thinking, curiosity winning over reason, and he immediately expected the worse in response. His senpai was an exceptionally difficult one to understand, but that didn't extend to his temper. Every student, no matter the grade, knew better than to intentionally anger the archery club captain.

To his surprise, Michi didn't yell, but carried on with the earlier indifference. The surprise didn't end there, though, as he even got a response out of the deal. It was clipped and more than a little matter-of-fact, but it was still a response. A fairly detailed one at that. "My little sister's club lets out soon," the older boy explained, calm eyes never straying from Hiro's own wide-eyed, unbelieving gaze. "Ten more minutes, to be precise. I usually walk her home around then, but just on Wednesdays."

"Sister?" Hiro asked blankly, appearing dumbfounded. It was hard to imagine someone so distant having siblings. His own relationship with his younger sister had led him to believe that having that early social interaction helped to make connections with other people easier. "Um," the younger boy blindly fished around for a way to keep the conversation going, not willing to let this opportunity pass him by. "What club is she in, senpai? Archery, like you?"

Michi glanced off to the side, seemingly bored. "No. Music. She plays the violin and has a lot of talent for it."

The younger boy had to stop short of telling him, "You're just as talented." Not out of fear for his safety, but because something was insisting the subject was a sensitive one as far as Michi was concerned. Deciding to go another route, he tested an idea out, awkwardly posing a suggestion of, "Since senpai lives in the same neighborhood as me, do you think could we walk home together today?" It was a bit of stretch to ask that perhaps, but Hiro had wanted to give it a try anyway. _Because senpai can't spend all of his time alone,_ he reasoned.

Expecting a blunt yes or no, he was surprised again when the answer he received was an off-topic, "You still have rice in your, Sawada-kouhai." Flushing a bright red, Hiro began to fuss with his hair for the second time that day. Michi seized the opportunity for what it was and left. When Hiro glanced back hopefully to where his upperclassman had been, he was disappointed to find no one there.

"What'cha doing just standing around for?" The sudden introduction of another voice had Hiro jumping about a mile into the air, causing the speaker to openly laugh. "With that kind of leaping ability, you really should try out for the Olympics, Hiro," that same person encouraged enthusiastically.

He would recognize that voice anywhere. "Daichi," Hiro groaned, "you idiot, I wasn't standing around for no reason!" He ran a nervous hand through his hair, messing it up further, and desperately clutched at the bow he was holding. "Nakamura-senpai, he … that is to say, I … well, we finally talked," admitted Hiro sheepishly. "But he kind of disappeared all of a sudden …"

Daichi was quiet, eyes shadowed by his bangs as he bowed his head to the ground. "Yeah, that guy, he's a weird one," the taller boy supposed aloud, "but not as weird as those transfer students!" He was back to his happy, grinning self in no time, slinging an arm around Hiro's tense shoulders and persisting animatedly with, "You know that girl I mentioned, right? Well, you're not going to believe this, but when she overheard me mentioning you, she went ballistic. Asked all kinds of questions! Ahahaha, I think she likes you or something."

_Or something_, Hiroyuki agreed, considering he had never met her. "Oh, is that why you're here then? To gossip? Idiot." He was curious as to who the girl was, however, wondering why she would want to know about _him_, and finally settled on asking, "What's her name?"

"Sasagawa Minori," replied Daichi, giving his friend a funny look. "You can't possibly be planning to get to know her, could you? I wouldn't recommend it." There was no joking tone in his voice, only seriousness now as his brow furrowed in concern. "Hiro, no offense, but – I don't know how to say this, it's just … I don't think you should go getting involved with either of them. I'm not kidding, they're not normal."

Hiro shrugged in a nonchalant fashion, unfazed by the reaction. If there was one thing that had the potential to bother him about Daichi, it was his protectiveness. He had put up with it for a long time, figuring his friend would eventually grow out of it. "I wasn't, but that name _does_ sound familiar, like one I've heard before. I just can't think of where it's from."

"But you're going to stay away from her, right?" Daichi sounded like he was pleading. "That girl's no good. I once caught her smoking during break and they say she drinks too. I don't know. Someone like her, well … she could lead to trouble, Hiro. And -"

"Stop it," interrupted Hiroyuki, "I already said I wasn't going to get involved. Or don't you trust me?" Irritated, he pushed his friend's arm off his shoulders. "Practice is almost over. I should go put my gear away." The other boy tried to stop him from leaving, but Hiro wouldn't have any of it. He was determined to walk away and that was he did, preferring to rejoin the rest of the archery club, the majority of his peers closer to the targets now. The club wasn't officially over until half past five, but the practice itself usually ended before that, to leave time for discussion. It was needed for good reason lately since they had a tournament coming up soon.

He contributed his own opinion when he was within hearing range, proposing they wait until their captain was there to finalize anything but willingly tossing around ideas with the others. The potential candidates for the line-up were decided upon that evening, leaving them with a general idea of who would be participating in the competition next week. And, with that out of the way, it was one less headache for Hiroyuki. Now he didn't have to stress over whether or not he would have to take part in the event, having insisted he would be of no use in the line-up to begin with. A few of his fellow peers had been skeptic about the decision _not_ to include him, but they were overruled. Hiro felt that was for the best, he wasn't worthy of a spot on the main team.

Archery over for the day, Hiro headed for the school gates, ready for the long walk home. He pretended not to see the person, still in a judo club uniform, waiting for him. There was no one trying to get his attention, no one at all. The hurt wasn't real either. The lost look on that person's face, it had no reason to affect him. His chest didn't feel tight, his stomach wasn't turning in knots, and it was nothing more than his imagination that there was something hot and wet on his cheeks. Hiro wasn't sure why he was angry, but it was obvious what the problem was as much as he wanted to ignore it.

- XI -

His bedroom door was slammed shut behind him, Hiroyuki flopping down on his bed face-first and refusing to move. No one was home yet besides him, so he figured he had some time to pull it together before his sister arrived back. Knowing her, he guessed she had stopped by Namimori Central Hospital to visit their mother. It was closer to their school than home and Emiko was insistent she wanted to become a nurse, just like their mom. She was most likely volunteering to help out around the hospital right about now. His little sister had been doing that a lot recently. It was easy for her, since she didn't have any clubs to worry about. His sister had never liked them, saying it was conforming to other people's interests. She was too headstrong for that. Being the way she was, she often did what she wanted to do, when she wanted to do it. He wished he could be like that, like his sister. She didn't let anything get to her and that was the complete opposite of him. _She didn't even realize mom and dad were fighting this morning._ It had been on his mind all day. He had only caught snatches of the conversation, but it was enough for him to realize there was something going on that he didn't understand.

_And here I thought dad was just an ordinary salary man_. Pulling a pillow closer, Hiro buried his face into the cool fabric and attempted to make sense of things. Apparently his father wasn't ordinary at all. That explained a lot: the late hours, the constant injuries, the fact he had never been invited to work alongside his father. One of the biggest mysteries was the person his mother had referred to as 'him'. The infliction in her voice made it seem like she strongly disliked whoever it was and that in itself was a bit of a rarity. Sawada Kyoko went out of her way to be nice to everyone, a learned demeanor throughout her years of being a nurse. For her to sound like that, Hiro could only presume the 'him' in that equation had hurt her or someone she cared about. _What's going on?_ He had to wonder about that. There were so many secrets being kept from him that he was beginning to feel annoyed whenever he thought about it.

Daichi's presence had been such a welcome relief at lunch today, distracting him before he had let that frustration build into something substantial. Now, though, the mere thought of his best friend was only succeeding in making things worse. _All because he doesn't like the new kids. What, does he think that gives him some kind of right to act that way? _The transfer students were a topic he would rather avoid thinking about at the moment, but there was still a nagging in the back of his mind about that name. _Where have I heard it before?_

It answer hit him like a ton of bricks to the head – quite literally. Flipping over with a hand automically coming up to massage at the back of his head, he picked up the heavy picture album and stared at it. Embroidered in the cover of the album was the name Sasagawa Kyoko right next to Sawada Tsunayoshi. _Where'd this come from? Who threw it? _A quick glance to the door proved that he wasn't alone any more.

He blinked a couple times to make sure he wasn't seeing what he thought he was seeing because the person he was looking at _couldn't _have been who he thought it was. There was no way that was possible. _I've got to stop competing against Emiko in school. My brain's having a meltdown._ "D-Dad?" It was too early for his father to be home. This _couldn't_ have been his dad. That smirk on the man's face seemed out of place as well. His father had never looked at him with that kind of superior expression before. Neither would his dad have intentionally thrown something at the back of his head, for that matter.

"Fu, this was such a convenient disguise. But … I guess the gig's up. You're quick. Caught on already, did you?" What the person called a disguise began to fade away, height diminishing and the mature features softening into that of an adolescent's young face. "Hiya. The name's Nico! But you already know that don't you? And you're Hiroyuki! Am I right? Woah, you sure grew up!" Introductions bypassed just like that, the younger boy invited himself further into the room without asking and took a seat next to Hiro on the bed, completely at ease. "I'm from Italy," Nico cheerfully explained, swinging his legs back and forth from where he sat, "but Japan's so cool. I like it a lot! Can we go out and eat some sushi somewhere, Hiroyuki?"

Hiro, for his part, was trying his best to remain calm. It was hard to do. "I never gave you permission to call me by first name," he corrected, displeasure evident. "And no, I will not take you out for sushi. Just who do you think you are?" He crossed his arms over the album resting on his lap in a display of defensiveness. "How did you get into the house, anyway? I always lock the door when no one else is home. Dad says to."

"Oh, that? That was easy." A charismatic smile made a brief appearance, only to be replaced soon enough by a look of derision. "It was almost _too_ easy, to be honest. So what's the catch?" Hiro's bemused expression proved he didn't understand and Nico was forced to clarify. "Come on. You don't mean to say someone like _the_ Vongola Decimo would leave his children this unprotected, do you? That's just weak."

"No. _You're_ the weak one. You didn't notice the alarm system? That's a mistake you're going to live to regret." Unfolding his arms and standing quickly, album in hand, Hiro headed for the open door. "So get lost before that happens." He was bluffing. As far as he knew, they didn't have any sort of anti-theft system. He was going with the small hope the strange kid would take his words at face value and leave. Half-way out the door, Hiro kept up the pretense and finished with, "Police will be here any minute, so do yourself a favor and disappear, okay?"

There was a moment where Nico looked about ready to say something, but the younger boy kept quiet, taking the verbal assault like a kicked puppy and playing the part well. Then, going from one extreme to the other, the boy burst out into hysterical laughter, clutching at his sides when it became near impossible to catch his breath. Once Nico had settled down enough to actually _breathe_, he asked, "Are you serious? Oh man, you almost got me there, Hiro! It's okay if I call you that, right? Hiro~ I like that name. You're so much fun."

Wondering what kind of wacko he was dealing with exactly, Hiro did nothing more than stare. His unwanted guest didn't seem to be leaving any time soon, that much was clear to him, but he wasn't about to give up on forcing the kid out. "What's your problem? Can't you tell when someone doesn't want you around?" He was already in a foul mood and this situation wasn't helping matters. "And _don't_ call me Hiro."

"Well, what _am_ I supposed to call you?" Nico's puzzlement was genuine. Hiro could tell because of that weird feeling again, letting know him what needed to be known. "We're supposed to be friends! Or has that changed?" There was a flash of some unidentifiable emotion in Nico's eyes, the violet color of his irises darkening for a moment. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about me?" Hiro gasped as he was suddenly shoved, forced out of the room to be slammed up against a wall out in the hallway. The dark-haired boy lowered his head to whisper directly in the other's ear, a touch of cynicism in his voice. "Well then," the boy hissed, unrepentant, "I'll just have to make the forgetful little boy remember who I am."

Tendrils of mist began to seep out of the woodwork, engulfing the two of them in a thick, constrictive layer of shadow. Hiro struggled against Nico's grip on his arms, eyes constantly searching for a way out, a means of escape, but there was nothing. There was only him, the boy named Nico, and the blank emptiness that surrounded them. He felt drowsy and his body instinctively slouched against the other for support, the album the only thing separating them as he held it to close to his heart. They were the only ones that truly mattered in this misty world of nothingness, or that was what his haze-filled mind was telling him at the moment, but something wasn't right, there was something he had forgotten – something important. It was nagging at him, nagging and nagging until his eyes finally slid closed, defenses completely abandoning him. He heard a chuckle and then a whisper of, "That's right, forget everything but me," and then he was gone.

- XI -

"Waaaah, we're gonna be late!" Hiro watched in a daze as a ten-year old version of himself rounded a corner in an elementary school, a dark-haired boy following close behind him and trying to catch up. At first he was positive it was Daichi, that he was living through some kind of vivid memory while asleep, but then he caught a glimpse of the other boy's eyes and they were nothing like the deep brown of his best friend's, they were a startling amethyst.

"Slow down, nii-chan, your legs are longer," complained the child-like Nico, rubbing at sleep-filled violet eyes. "We're not gonna be late! Nee-chan's right, you worry too much. Just like dad." _Since when do I have a younger brother? _Hiro thought with skepticism. He didn't remember growing up with this kid, so who was he? The familiarity he was speaking with implied they had at least grown up around one another, but why couldn't he remember him?

The smaller Hiro slowed a bit, waiting patiently for the other boy to catch up and offering him a hint of a smile when he did. "Well, yeah. One of us has to worry about that kind of stuff, right? And I'm the oldest so it's my, uh, what's that word again that dad's always using? Responsi … responsibil – responsibooty," tried the younger Hiro. The sound was hard for him to remember, but he still tried his best to get it right.

Giggling, the little Nico declared unabashedly, "Then I'll help! I can help too. That's okay, right? 'Cause then you won't have to worry so much, nii-chan." It was strange, but the older Hiro couldn't tear his eyes away, forced to watch the scene play out in front of him. It was as if he had no choice. It was because of that, though, that he noticed it. The younger-him had been reaching out, as if to pat the smaller boy on the head, but his wrist had been grabbed and he was pulled down into an unexpected hug - right there in the middle of the hallway. "Don't forget you have me to help. I'll always help you, nii-chan, no matter what." Full of pride, Nico finished boldly, "And I won't ever let you down, you'll see."

Without warning, the older Hiro felt arms encircle his waist from behind, someone's head resting on his shoulder and warm breath tickling the exposed skin along his neck. "Do you remember me now, Hiro?" Despite the proximity and the way he was being held, Hiro couldn't help but be relaxed. There was a faint nagging in the back of his mind, a warning that something was definitely _wrong _about this, but he found it much easier to forget it existed and give in to the here and now. It wouldn't hurt to play along for a while, or that was what he figured. _This is a dream, isn't it? When I wake up, none of it will be real any more. _"Ku fu fu. Such wonderful naivety." It was a deeper voice that spoke now, one that couldn't possibly have belonged to Nico, full of cunning and plans that were already in the making. Hidden under it was a possible connection, though. One he couldn't see but somehow knew was there, tying two anomalies together. A shiver ran down his spine as a frightening thought occurred to him._ Could this be what possession is like? _"But oh, what's this? My, my. What a smart little boy you're turning out to be."

"Enough!" Hiro blinked awake at the abrupt entrance of another voice, snapping out of whatever trance he had been in. He realized a little too late that he had fallen for whatever trick Nico had used. "What are you doing here, brat?" That angry voice was one Hiro knew well. He smiled a little, glad to hear it, but the relief faded when his current situation was brought back into sharp perspective. "Get your hands off Hiroyuki, kid. Go home. I don't care what you do on your own time, but when you mess with the Tenth's family, that's when you've crossed the line."

"H-Hayato-occhan, I can … it's not …" Hiro fumbled over what it was he wanted to say and settled upon, "I'm old enough to take care of myself." It was Nico he looked at when it was said though, the younger boy being the same height as him and blocking his view of the newcomer. Thankful that the illusion was now gone, Hiro was quick to push the strange Italian boy away, the slack grip allowing him to escape. Wasting no time, he rushed to put some distance between them and slumped heavily against the wall near Hayato, still clutching desperately at the album in his arms. The older man glanced at him worriedly, but his gaze was back on Nico almost immediately, careful to keep the intruder under his watchful eyes. "When did you get here, Occhan?" Hiro was curious about that in particular. It felt like barely a minute had passed since that weird mist thing had lulled him into a false reality, but that couldn't have been right.

Hayato hesitated and Hiro began to feel there was something the older man wasn't telling him. _Just like dad …_ "Hiroyuki. Forget about that. Tell me what he did first." It sounded a little resentful, like he wanted to skip the formalities and go straight to beating up the person who had dared to trespass. Hiro was pretty sure that was_ exactly_ what Hayato wanted to do. The man had been a friend of his father long enough for him to know something like that at least. Quick to act, Hayato wasn't too good when it came to patience.

Deciding to get it over with, Hiroyuki fabricated the easiest explanation he could think of, hoping it would be believed. Dropping his gaze to the floor, he refused to meet anyone's eyes as he spun his tale, slightly ashamed he was sticking up for an intruder. "He's just a friend, Occhan. We got into a bit of a fight," he confessed half-heartedly, mind elsewhere as he thought of his real best friend. He grimaced and quickly picked up where he had left off. "Then I kind of fainted on him. Not a big deal, really, but yeah. That's about when you came in." He didn't feel like raising his head, a wave of nausea and tiredness hitting him all at once, much like the mist had done earlier. He never saw the unusual look of surprise on Nico's face. Nor did he catch the display of anxiety that Hayato had been unable to hide. "Sleep …" the blond mumbled weakly as his face suddenly went pale. His hands began to shake, barely capable of holding onto to the album.

Next he knew, his body had given out and the floor was rising up to meet him. There was a swift movement from someone, his vision too blurry to make out who it was, but it stopped his descent and prevented him from getting hurt. For that, he was grateful. With his consciousness deteriorating further, Hiroyuki couldn't fight the battle to stay awake and allowed himself to fall into a deep, welcoming sleep when he lost.

- XI -

Hayato's grip tightened on the young boy he was holding, furious green eyes glaring up at the person who had caused the trouble in the first place. "Leave. Or I _won't _let you live." There was only truth in what he said, too upset to be held responsible for his actions if he wasn't left alone to deal with the situation. "Like I said, it doesn't matter what you do outside this house, brat, but inside," Hayato snarled, freeing up one hand and pulling out a concealed stick of dynamite from his suit, "that's when you've gone and crossed the line."

Calculating the time it would take to light the wick and throw it, Nico made his move knowing full-well he would succeed in what he was about to do. Since Hiro had been placed on the ground by now, freeing up the bomber's hands, he used that to his advantage and snatched up the other boy with a triumphant smirk. Replicas of him and Hiroyuki filled the room, the illusions surrounding Hayato before an actual fight could break out. "Well, since you leave me no other choice, I guess I'll just have to use Hiro here as my bargaining chip. Fu~ What a disaster." The dark-haired boy shook his head and a dagger materialized in his hand. Every Nico in room held one, each grinning as the false blades were held tauntingly close to the neck of the real Hiro as well as the fakes. The boy's throat was protected by nothing more than a thin, black choker which he had a habit of wearing every day. Nico could remember the story behind that choker well and it took all of his self-restraint not to tear it in half while he still had the chance. "Now, why don't we play? Play ... nice, that is. We shouldn't let anything bad to happen to the next generation, now should we? Gokudera-_occhan_."

The older man breathed out a loud, "Tch," around the cigarette in his mouth. "Fucking brat, you don't know how dangerous the game you're playing is. Get out of here." It was the last warning Gokudera Hayato was going to give. His orders had been to detain the problem until his boss could arrive home, specifically instructed to do so without _excessive force_, but things had changed. Hiroyuki's life was in danger and he couldn't allow that. Either the kid who was the problem had to leave or Hayato was going to blow said problem to bits. Dynamite at the ready and itching to be used, Hayato was leaning more and more towards the exploding side of the equation.

"Hmph. You're in no position to be demanding anything of me, Gokudera-occhan," the boy drawled petulantly, violet eyes challenging and unforgiving. "Or does Hiro's life mean so little to you that you would throw it away? Especially if you believed it was a wish of that _Vongola Decimo _of yours …"

As far as Hayato was concerned, that was the end of the conversation. He had nothing left to say to a kid who refused to listen. Dynamite went flying, one after another. He had become rather confident in his ability to the extent that he felt able to risk someone else's life in order to save it, a foolish endeavor if tried by anyone else, but Gokudera Hayato wasn't just anyone. He was a professional - and a professional rarely let foolishness get in the way.

Having timed it to point where the first explosion would go off far enough away from the pair, he used the smoke and the chaos from the bomb's impact to grab Hiro and get the hell out of there. Damages to the property were unavoidable at this rate, but once Hiroyuki was safe, he could worry about that later. The escape becoming a success, having secured Hiro in a protective hold, he did not let the cries that followed after them get in the way. Another pained scream reached his ears, trying to stop him from taking the unconscious Hiro away. "Wait, stop! This isn't what I wanted! Please wait!" The deceptions would not slow him. Hayato felt only one thing was important right now and that was to get Hiro as far away as he could from the dangers of an illusionist.

- XI -

A cool, damp cloth brushed over feverish skin, wiping away the sweat that beaded and slipped down the blond's brow. Groggily, Hiro opened his eyes and made to thank the person helping him, only to come up short with a reply, brown eyes widening as he realized where he was finally. "D-Daichi?" His throat felt dry, as if he had been without water for days, but he couldn't have been out that long. If so his best friend should have been more worried instead of looking at him like _that_, their fight still fresh in both their minds. Pointedly looking away, he asked in a voice barely above a hoarse whisper, "Why am I here?"

The taller boy was about to answer when a blur of brown and silver abruptly collided with his guest, making him pause and stare at the two. The girl had latched onto Hiroyuki, beginning to hiccup periodically into his chest. "Stupid! How many times has dad told us to never stay home alone?"

Hiro blinked for a moment, still sleepy, and then finally replied. "I know, I know, but I wanted to be alone, Emiko." He locked eyes with Daichi on purpose, challenging him to say something, and went on despite the exhaustion creeping into his voice. "I think being alone isn't bad, okay? I don't know why dad's always going on about it being dangerous." _Besides the fact he's hiding something from us._

It was Daichi that broke their staring contest, preferring to stare down at the floor instead of at his best friend. It wasn't until Emiko's breathing hitched with a mumble of "are you okay?" that Daichi decided enough was enough and made a move, placing the back of his hand against his friend's forehead to check his temperature. It had gone down substantially, but it wasn't entirely gone. He was surprised when his friend didn't pull away, instead leaning into the coolness of his hand. The true objection came from Emiko, the brunette getting riled up and ordering him out of the room. He would have agreed to the demand, if only to run some cold water over the washcloth again, but a voice from down the hall interrupted them both, leaving no room for argument. "Emiko, where are you? Come help me with dinner. Reiko-san and I can't do it by ourselves, you know."

Silently Daichi thanked their mothers for providing him a moment alone with Hiro. It would allow a chance to set a few things straight while the ladies of the household worked in the kitchen. Once Emiko was gone, disappearing out of the room in a huff, he worked up the courage to ask, "Is that true then? Do you want me to leave you alone that much?"

Hiroyuki had closed his eyes somewhere along the way and Daichi was afraid that he had fallen back to sleep. _With a fever that high, I know he needs rest. But what's going on? He was fine when we left school … but now. Is it really okay for him to go back to sleep so soon?_ He started somewhat when his friend spoke, having been expecting no response at all even if Hiro had been awake. "No," the tired admittance came, making his heart beat faster with uncertainty. _No? What …?_ "I was just mad," murmured Hiro drowsily, bordering on falling back asleep again but not quite there yet. "And I really wanted you to think about it for once, figure it out, and maybe I wouldn't have to …"

"Wouldn't have to what?" encouraged Daichi, confused. He _had_ thought it over, but he hadn't been able to figure it out.

A single brown eye opened and Daichi couldn't shake the feeling his friend knew something he didn't. There was something he couldn't see. But what was it? "I wouldn't have to call you an idiot for once," Hiro chose to say with finality, a small smile present, "but that's impossible. Should have known better." Both eyes once more closed and Hiro seemed content to put the argument behind them and move on. He had always been the type to forgive and forget, but Daichi wasn't going to let it go as easily as him.

"You said I didn't trust you," pointed out Daichi, bringing up their after-school argument. He took a seat on the edge of the bed next to Hiro and frowned. "You said …" He trailed off in thought, remembering how frustrated his friend had been. "What was the real reason you were so upset?" Daichi demanded. "And now this! The one day you're home alone, without me or Emiko around, and _this_ happens. What's going on, Hiro?" He shifted on the bed to get a better look at his friend, sighing when he noticed the slow, even breathing. That explained why there had been no interruptions or answer then. _Wonder how much he heard before he fell asleep._

- XI -

"You had better get your lazy ass up," a voice growled from near the doorway, causing Hiro to groan and further curl up in the covers. "Food's done! No getting out of it, so eat." A tray was dumped unceremoniously onto his lap when he grudgingly sat up. The orange juice almost tipped over, but he steadied it in time and raised the glass to have a drink from it. He paused with the juice half-way to his lips and blinked slowly, still in a daze, as he realized the person who had delivered the food was looking at him in an expectant way. "Well?"

"Um. Thank you, Emiko?" he guessed. From the look he received from his sister, it wasn't the right answer. "What?" He picked up his chopsticks and poked dispassionately at the food in front of him. "You can't be waiting for me to taste this and bow down to your awesomeness in cooking or whatever. Not going to happen. Ever." He snorted a little at the very idea and took a bite out the sushi on his plate, chewing it experimentally and scrunching up his nose in distaste. "Takeshi-occhan makes it better," decided Hiro without a second-thought, pushing the tray away and gulping down his nearly forgotten orange juice. With a contented sigh, he wiped the back of his hand across his lips and placed the empty glass back onto the tray. "Can I get more? Water, juice, anything. So thirsty."

Scowling, Emiko flicked a stray curl out of her eyes, the rest of her long hair tied back with a blue ribbon, and leaned down to retrieve the glass with a fuming, "I don't care if you don't like my food or not, jerk, but you need to eat!" When he just shrugged in the face of her anger, it only served to make it worse. "Fuck you! I worry about you and all you do is act like nothing happened!" _Ah, so that's why she's acting like this. _"Do you know how much you made mom cry? Do you?" There was nothing but bitter accusation in her voice. "And dad. I've never seen dad look so angry, Hiro! Just what is going on? Why aren't we at home and why are you like this?" Tears were pooling in her eyes by now, frustration getting the better of her. "I don't understand!"

Hiro rubbed at his eyes, trying to get rid of the blurriness, and sighed. "Stop it, Emiko. I know as much as you do." Looking up hopefully, he asked, "Do you know why we're here at least and not at home?" He had thought maybe it was another dream, waking up in Daichi's room, but it was too real to be anything but harsh reality.

Knuckles going white around the glass she was holding, Emiko admitted, "Mom wouldn't say anything, but dad mentioned the house was being fumigated for pests and forgot to tell us." She breathed out sharply, staring at the floor and looking like she wanted to kill something very badly. "Unfortunately that means we'll be staying here for about a week." _Oh, right. She never did like Daichi much. She's probably having a spaz attack just thinking about it._

"… Stupid dad," mumbled Hiro, hiding a yawn behind his hand as he mused over what he had just been told. It was going to be a long week if that was the case and he wasn't sure he was up to that. Not with the way he was feeling right now. His throat was _killing_ him, or at least was putting up a good fight to do just that. "Oi, water. Now please." He was too tired to argue and the sooner she brought him something to drink the sooner he could go back to sleep and pretend this was all a bad dream.

Emiko looked about ready to throw the glass at his head for ordering her around, but she didn't in the end, opting to turn around and do as she was asked for once. "You'll owe me one," she ground out, "and I'll be collecting on that favor soon, don't worry." He shuddered to think what she would come up with this time. Her last idea of a favor had involved him running as fast as he possibly could, with a pack of wild dogs on heels _just_ to get her favorite hat back. His sister could be absolutely ruthless when she wanted to be.

Blissfully alone for a while, Hiro took the time to observe the room, noting that not much had changed since his last visit. Posters of beautiful idols and a multitude of singers still stuck to the walls for show, one girl in particular winking cutely in the direction of the bed. He held no doubt it had been done intentionally. Unimpressed, he dismissed them in favor of staring at the object that sat innocently on the dresser a short distance away. It was always there, always, always, always. He looked away, smiling a bit. _Hasn't thrown it out yet, I see._ The small pocket knife wasn't worth a lot in value, but when it came to their friendship, it was worth its weight in gold. Years ago, when they had been kids, that knife and – he fingered the choker still around his throat – his necklace had been a part of a pact they had made, a deal to always be friends.

It had been entirely childish, but Hiro often found comfort in the smallest things and the pact usually put his mind at ease after they had a fight. It meant he would always have one tried and true friend that would never leave him. Never being a stretch, maybe, but for now, as long as Daichi held onto to that pocket knife, he knew their friendship would neither break nor bend. Just like the harsh metal of that blade refusing to give in to the many elements of nature. In time, it would rust with age, but he was living in the here and now and that rust was far from ruining anything.

His stomach growled loudly beneath the covers and Hiro blushed lightly, wondering if he should try eating a bit more or not. While the sushi hadn't been to his liking, he figured some of his mom's onigiri would do. He nibbled at it slowly, testing to see how both his throat as well as his stomach would react. After finding no objection from his body to the food, he finished it off and made to try some of the steamed vegetables. His progress with dinner came to a stand-still a few minutes later when a noise caught him unaware. It had sounded like a chuckle, a laugh that shouldn't have been there, and he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched now. On edge, he pushed the tray away once more and stood, inspecting the room for someone that shouldn't have been there. He found no one. Shivering from the cold, he held out his arms and inspected his clothing with a small quirk of an eyebrow. _Who changed me out of my uniform?_ The clothes were loose on him, a size too big. He guessed they were Daichi's.

Without so much as a warning, something cold and sharp pressed against his cheek, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest. When he turned to look, there was nothing. _What was that? _Figuring it was the fever doing something funny to his head, he climbed back into bed, huddling underneath the covers. The door creaked open a minute later, spooking him, but he chanced a peek around the covers and found himself relieved to see his sister back with something for him to drink. _Jeez, I'm jumpy. What's with that?_

"Here you go, nii-san," she said sweetly as she handed him the water. Hiro eyed her suspiciously, getting the feeling that she was up to something. "Sorry it took so long!"

"Eh? What's wrong with you?" He crossed his arms and didn't accept the water. _She probably put something in it._ "You being nice is kind of scary."

The complacent smile on her face died away and she scowled. "Jerk. And I was just trying to be nice to a sick person!" He wanted to laugh and say 'oh sure you were', but something was telling him to keep quiet and stay away from her. It was that little voice in the back of his mind that was getting louder and louder lately. _As much as I fight with Emiko, I've never gotten this kind of feeling before, like she's seriously going to hurt me. Why now?_ "Anyway, come on. Drink up. I don't got all day!" She thrust out the water again for him to take, beginning to look impatient. "We're gonna do dishes soon, so hurry up!"

There was a moment where he wanted to refuse, but he caved like he often did, accepting the glass with an exasperated sigh. "Fine, fine, just be quiet already. You're making my head hurt." He gulped down some of the cool liquid, relaxing back into the bed, and sighed out of contentment this time. "Thanks, Emiko," he smiled, meaning it even if she didn't believe him, "don't know what I'd do without you." His vision was getting blurry again and he had to blink to keep his sight from completely going. "Oi, that's weird. Wasn't sleepy a moment a … go."

"Man, this was almost too easy!" crowed a victorious voice when Hiro finally fell into a deep sleep once more. "You're lucky, kid. If it wasn't for me requesting this assignment ahead of time," the owner of the voice let the disguise fade, a small smirk present, "well, you'd probably be dead already." A ribbon was twirled between careful fingertips as the intruder bent down to the peacefully sleeping Hiro. "Sorry, kid, but I'll have to take this," the choker around the boy's throat was snapped off with a delighted laugh. "It's just business, you understand. Have to make sure my mark knows I'm here, that I'm watching." Tucking the ribbon and choker into a pocket, the trespasser pulled out a sheet of folded paper and looked around for a writing utensil. Once a pen had been found, a short note was written and signed with an absolute flourish, the thief grinning from ear to ear. "See you soon, kiddos!"

It was the end of one life and the beginning of a new one entirely that night. Whether that was a good or a bad thing was far from being seen. With the promise of adventure looming in the distance, it brought with it new faces, new terrors, and new bonds to be forged. Tsuna, from his watchful spot out in the hall, knew that his half-hearted attempt at a normal life was now over. There was nothing left to keep pretending for, the truth had caught up with him. No matter how much he hated it, something had to be done. He knew what, but he was dreading it almost as much as he had dreaded taking up the life he now lived. _Dammit. He was right all along._ It didn't look like things were going to get any less complicated in the near future.

Rubbing at his temples, Tsuna made a mental note to have someone keep a close eye on his children for the next couple of months. The break-in was troubling him, but not nearly as much as what had just happened. _All of this at once … how are they going to handle it? _He headed down the hall to the guest bedroom, where he would be staying with his wife for the duration of the week. The repairs on the house would take some time to finish. _Gah, if only Hayato didn't live on-base with Haru and Hitomi-chan! _He had considered staying with a few other people close to him, but it had come down to being practical and opting to ask the Yoshida family if they would be willing to share their household for the better part of one week. His son's best friend had been all for it and so had the boy's mother. With their agreement, it had been settled, a done deal. Yet he still felt like he was imposing and couldn't shake the feeling he was only dragging another innocent family down with his own._ Ugh, what am I going to do? _His cell phone rang and he answered it without a second thought, "_Ciao_."

"Boss! We caught him. We caught that little twerp who tried to -" There was much swearing on the other line as the speaker was interrupted and Tsuna couldn't help but crack a small smile.

"I'll be right there, Hayato. Make sure you keep our guest entertained. Tell Takeshi to go home, though. There's probably someone special waiting for him tonight," the boss teased, making his friend splutter indignantly at the thought. "Aha ha, what's a matter? I'm trusting my _right-hand man_ to do this job alone, is there a problem?" He could practically feel Gokudera Hayato preening at the words and had to bite back a laugh.

"Of course, Tenth, right away!" He heard a shout of, "Go the fuck home, baseball freak," and then the line clicked off, the dial tone softly beeping in his ear. A lot had changed, but his friends were still so much the same that it almost pained him to have dragged them into all this. _And I still keep dragging more and more people down._ Casting the thought aside, he pocketed his phone again and headed back to the kitchen where the ladies were still in the midst of a pleasant conversation. After quickly excusing himself for the night, he left with only one thing on his mind. There was business to attend to now.


	2. Tick, Tick, Tock

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Author's Note: **The next few chapters will honestly be more about character building than anything else, but at least things might get a little interesting along the way. And, well, back to back updates too! These two go together anyway, so I'm going to go ahead and post them up. Might help me focus on where I'm stuck with chapter four by taking a break like this. That part of the story is eating my brain alive and not cooperating _at all_. Stupid chapter. Thinking over how the progress is going, though, I can probably estimate Reborn coming in around chapter six, but maybe sooner. If I can get the muses working properly.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter, and jeez, I can't believe it was really that long word-wise. Here's hoping I can keep the length semi more reasonable from now on. Anyway, let's fast-forward and get to the chapter, shall we?

* * *

**  
Warning Two: Tick, Tick, Tock**

Sawada Tsunayoshi was expecting many things when he arrived on site at the Vongola Headquarters here in Japan. A happy Haru, trapping him in a hug. Hayato respectfully bowing in front of him. Possibly a young girl around his son's age awake and bustling around quietly to get ready for the day ahead. But what he got instead was far from expected. Haru, for example, was worrying needlessly over a boy currently crying his eyes out in the middle of the office space. Hayato was yelling for said boy to _shut up and stop moving_ as he ignored any thrashing and tied the boy down to a chair to get him under control. As for the young girl off to the side, silent and unobtrusive, she watched the happenings with a calculated gaze that belied her years.

Stepping further into the office, Tsuna dutifully closed the door behind him and studied the scene carefully. It wasn't uncommon. They often interrogated suspects of the younger sort in here, unlike the basement, which was reserved for the worst of the worst. "Ah, you weren't kidding, huh." It wasn't so much a question as a means of drawing the room's attention. "Am I to take it this is the boy who tried to harm my son?" He kept his voice pleasant, but the cold edge to his smile was easily seen. The crying died down to a mere hiccup as violet eyes looked at him pleadingly. He was familiar with that look. When cornered, most children, especially in the mafia world, often resorted to seeking the easiest way out, which was pretending they didn't understand the consequences of their actions. Tsuna had learned a long time ago to turn a blind eye to age and see through to motive alone. Today, though, that didn't seem to be working. With that one look alone, he had been unable to stop the smallest hint of regret from creeping into his heart.

"Yeah, this is the guy, Tenth," confirmed Hayato as he finished off the last of the knots and stood, dusting off imaginary dirt. "Would remember him anywhere. He's a cheeky brat, boss. Want me to teach him some respect for his elders before we start?" The bomber cracked his knuckles expectantly, all too willing to do just that. The woman standing behind him kicked said bomber square in the back, skirt hiking up to reveal black shorts, ones she had learned to wear for such reasons throughout the years, and crossed her arms defiantly. "What was that for, woman?!" Hayato rounded on her. "You and Hitomi shouldn't even be here!"

"Hahi! Stop being so mean. He's a _little boy_. What if that was your daughter?" The dark haired woman glanced pointedly at the girl hidden partially by the shadows, standing a small distance away from their group. "What would you do then, Hayato?" The girl seemed to know where this was headed and rolled her eyes. Then, taking it upon herself, she purposely stepped out of her secluded corner and into the full light of the room, seemingly bored. "Think about it," the woman continued on regardless, "the way she was raised, she's just like him, isn't she?"

The quiet, unassuming girl was finally provoked into speaking at that, muttering a disdained, "I am nothing like him, mom. I wouldn't have been caught so easily, for one." She twisted a short lock of dark hair thoughtfully before speaking again. "And neither would I have bawled like a baby after merely stubbing my toe," she deadpanned.

Tsuna coughed to cover up an inappropriate laugh given the situation. _So that's what happened? Some little hitman this kid is turning out to be._ He knew better than to judge a book by its cover, given some of the people he knew, but he still found it rich to hear a _trained assassin _had been crying over something as insignificant as that. "Now, now, everyone settle done." He let his brown eyes lock onto the violet ones still pleading with him in a way that was hard to ignore. "What's your name, kid? It's nice to know that sort of thing," Tsuna started up the conversation amiably, walking closer to the caught teenager and waving away Hayato and his family. "Do you prefer we speak in private, or is it all right if my friends stay?" The friends he was speaking of moved to stand behind him without having to be asked, dragging their daughter with them.

The kid with the strange eyes began to smile lazily, tears fading now that the full attention of the Vongola Boss was on him. "Didn't expect to meet you quite so quickly, Decimo! I'm Nico," the name was provided in a flash, the boy's smile turning a bit more quirky. "You know who that is, right? You were raising me, fu~ Fun times, those. Don't tell me you forgot about me too! It was only what, some four years ago? Before I just poof! Up and disappeared?"

"Excuse me?" Tsuna raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "That kind of story doesn't add up. Or do you take me for a fool?" _I'm pretty sure I don't know this kid, what's he talking about?_ His hyper intuition hadn't kicked in either, so he took the teenager's words as falsities. There was a moment where he considered it, the possibility of knowing this child somehow, but it was dismissed on the grounds that there were too many people out there already that wanted to get inside his head and kill him. He wouldn't allow another, let alone a kid, to join them just because of some strange want to understand what could compel _anyone_ to makeup such an outrageous lie. "Answer me this. Do you intend to target my son?"

Nico mouthed the word 'target' as if confused and then burst out into full-blown, raucous laughter. "I guess you could say that. But you and your _friends _probably misunderstand my intentions," the young man insisted. "I don't want to kill him. Why would I? It's nice to see my nii-chan again!"

_Is he under some kind of hypnosis, maybe? _It was a plausible theory, one he planned to look into. "If that's the case," Tsuna stated blithely, "then we have no quarrel with you. However." Nico made a face, knowing well there was a catch to everything. "I cannot trust your words at face value, you understand. Any ideas on how we can go about remedying that?"

The Italian boy mused over it for a while before blurting out, "Then let me into the Family, offer me protection and I'll provide you with my talents." Violet eyes sneaked a glance at the bomber who was scowling in his direction, obviously against the idea already, and hurried to finish in case an interruption of some sort could forestall any and all progress he was making with the Vongola's Decimo. "Your friend there, Gokudera, he saw what I'm capable of, I could -"

"I also saw what you are capable of," smoothly cut in Tsuna with a look in his eyes that bespoke of horrors untold should the boy go back on his words, "and I find it strange. Why is it that my son is still affected by your illusions? It doesn't make any sense. Nico, was it? What exactly are you?"

There was a wince from the young Italian. "It's … a side-effect. I'm sorry!" He sounded genuinely upset, giving Tsuna something to consider. "I-I'm new to it and it happens a lot when I use them, but with more practice I'm sure I can get better!"

_I'm sure you can,_ Tsuna thought, mulling over more than just that. Out-loud he posed the question of, "But how long does this side-effect tend to last, Nico-kun?"

"He should be fine tomorrow," Nico explained, shifting slightly against the ropes without realizing what he was doing in an effort to get free. "If I could see him and make sure it's not getting worse, then I could estimate a time, but … sometime tomorrow is the best I can give if not." He looked so hopeful that Tsuna almost felt bad about shooting down his hopes – _almost_ being the operative word.

"No can do," answered the Decimo noncommittally, "Hiro's going to be asleep for the rest of the night thanks to someone slipping something into his drink. It wouldn't be fair for me to say yes. You'd wind up disappointed." A gasp from Haru drew his attention to her and away from their guest for a moment. He smiled as best he could for the woman he had grown to care for and respect. "Don't worry, he's fine. It was another incident with someone breaking in, but no damage was done. Unlike …" The Vongola Boss trailed off purposely, stony gaze locking back onto Nico. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Nico-kun, but for now I'll let you off with a warning and allow you the Vongola protection you seek. For that, I expect nothing short of obedience. Do we have a deal?"

Eagerly, Nico nodded his understanding. Tsuna studied him for a moment longer and then motioned with a hand, instructing softly, "Untie him, Hayato. He's no threat." Coming from the Vongola Decimo that was an honor few in such a situation were allowed to hear. "Haru, how soon can you provide him with a uniform to Namimori Middle? He'll be attending school alongside my children. I want to see how much his words hold true. There will be restrictions, of course," Tsuna explained before the boy could go and set his hopes too high. "But we'll discuss them later."

The ropes fell away as soon as Hayato had worked out the last knot, the bomber looking none too pleased with the fact an illusionist was getting off with a mere 'warning'. "Lucky bastard," the man muttered under his breath before taking a step back, nearly bumping into Haru who had curiously followed to get a closer look at the boy. The woman's critical eye roved over the kid until she finally clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth and let out a triumphant, "Hahi!"

"So, how long?" Tsuna asked again, this time in amusement.

A hand resting in a thinking pose underneath her chin, she deliberated between the two choices she had in mind. "I can have one ready by tomorrow morning. You know that. It won't be anything fancy, that'll have to wait until I have the time! Maybe a week?"

Since it was coming from the Vongola's unofficial seamstress, Tsuna had no doubt he could hold her to that promise. "With your talents, Haru, it'll be a masterpiece." He grinned at the light blush resting on her cheeks and couldn't help but tease, "Hayato, look, look, I can still make her blush!"

If he had been expecting the 'lay off my woman' response from his right-hand man, he was sorely disappointed. "Well, that's because the Tenth could never lose his edge, no matter how old he gets," the man announced proudly, causing Tsuna to be the one to blush lightly now. After years and years of being praised by him, Tsuna should have expected it, but Hayato had a way of surprising him when he least expected it.

"Stop embarrassing, Tsuna-san!" The bomber was smacked upside the head for the compliment, Haru directing her wrath at him. "Now come on, we have to make sure we tuck Hitomi-chan in and then you'll be helping me with that uniform for the rest of the night!"

Hayato whined piteously in objection and rubbed at the spot where a sure-fire bruise was forming. Before he could even think of making good on an escape, though, she had him by the ear and was dragging him out of the room, their daughter trailing along behind them with a long suffering sigh. Tsuna shook his head at the sight, laughing softly at the family antics, and then once more rested his gaze on the young man who had _dared_ to hurt his son, all humor disappearing instantly. "Now, about those restrictions …"

- XI -

"Ugh, I feel like a bus ran over me, reversed, did it again, and then someone shot me in the head …" Hiro palmed at his face, trying to stay awake. It was hard to accomplish, his eyes wanting to droop and his head falling forward precariously. "What the hell did you give me last night, Emiko?" The fever from last night was gone, however. So maybe the undisturbed rest had been exactly what he had needed, but that was taking it optimistically at best. Making a show of grumbling about stupid sisters and pranks, he produced a folded piece of paper from one of his pockets and handed it to her. "And what's this about? Did you drop it or something?"

Emiko snatched the note from his grasp, annoyed, and read it through - once to her self and then once again out-loud. "'You have three days.' What the hell? 'Find what has been lost or your lives will be next. Sorry, but that's just how it is, Vongola.'" The young brunette glanced up for a moment with a contorted expression that said 'is this for real or what?' She apparently didn't take it seriously and went back to reading. "'But don't worry. If you should win, everything will work out just fine. Good luck. Yours truly' … wait, I can't read the name. Did you smudge it, Hiro?" Having said it, she pointed to an ink blot on her brother's hand and scowled. "You did! Wake up, you idiot! Stop slouching."

"She's right, Hiro. Wake up and get it together, man." Taking a seat beside the blond, Daichi bit into an apple and offered, "You two hungry or anything? Mom left early for work and, well, so did yours, so …"

"Ew, disgusting! Chew with your mouth closed," reprimanded Emiko, reaching across the table and thumping the older boy on the forehead. "Is that how you eat in the presence of a lady?"

Daichi feigned surprise, glancing around everywhere. "A lady? Where?" Hiro laughed - a real honest, loud laugh - and nudged his friend in the side. "Oh, is it you, Hiro?"

"Pffft, you loser." The blond punched his friend as hard as he could in the shoulder, a small grin settling on his face nevertheless. "Anyway, did you hear what that note said? It's kind of creepy. Hey, was it yours, Dai? I found it up in your room. I thought maybe it was Emiko's, but …" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, unsure.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Emiko slammed the note down onto the table, glaring at the boys across from her. "I wasn't in your damn room with lover boy last night. I lost my ribbon and I was looking for it. Ever since we got here! Jeez, why would I even go in to that loser's room? I mean, sure you were sick, but you're too fucking stubborn to die!"

"And she calls herself a lady," was the mumble from Daichi, making Hiro laugh again. Grinning at his victory, the dark haired boy admitted, loud enough to be heard by both, "It's not mine, though. Wonder where it came from. From the sound of it, a threat? Wait." He paused, considering something, and then shook his head with a weak laugh. "No, can't be. Why would a phantom thief go around targeting kids?"

Uncomprehendingly, Hiro stared at his friend and searched for what he couldn't figure out. _Phantom Thief? What's he going on about?_ "I don't get it, Dai."

"You haven't heard about him?" Daichi raised his eyebrows sky-high, bemused. "He's front page news!" The Sawada siblings exchanged looks of 'what's he on about now?' "Come on, seriously? He's all over TV lately. News reporters are going crazy over him. Mom's even doing a scoop on his alleged whereabouts here in Japan."

"Wait a sec." Hiro held up a hand, patiently asking, "Are you saying this letter fits with the thief then?" If that was what his friend was implying, then he would have to look into it further. He often called Daichi an idiot perhaps, but that was just out of habit. His friend was anything but and they both knew that.

Daichi grimaced, staring up at the ceiling as he took another bite out of his apple. Noticing the heart-felt glare sent his way, he made sure to swallow before speaking this time. "That's exactly what I'm saying. It fits perfectly. The three day game. The fact something was stolen. Hell, I bet the guy was even cocky enough to sign it, but since we don't have any proof …" Daichi shrugged. "It'll be hard to convince anyone of its authenticity. For all we know, it's someone's idea of a bad joke." Dark eyes flickered briefly to Emiko and then landed back on Hiro. "Well, anyway, it's just your sister who lost something, righ – Eh, Hiro, where's …" The dark haired boy's gaze had shifted to rest along his friend's throat, staring blankly. "Did you forget to put it on this morning?"

"What?" Hiro stopped short of asking anything else, frantic fingers feeling along his neck for something that wasn't there. "Ah! My choker. Emiko, do you know -" He was cut off by a curt shake of the head from his sister, causing him to slump down in his seat. Aggravated and feeling strangely exposed without it on, Hiro mumbled, "I could have sworn I went to bed with it. How could I have lost it between then and now?"

"Well, we'll look for it when we get home," Daichi suggested, beginning to stand. "School first, search later. We'd end up late if we tried to look now." He tried to pass it off like it wasn't a big deal, causing Hiro to wince. It bothered him more than he would have liked to admit, the nonchalant way his friend was dismissing it. _Does it really mean so little?_ Distracted by another glare Emiko sent their way, Hiro could do nothing more than frown, wondering when his sister would grow up. It was Daichi that caught on to what was upsetting her, though, politely amending his earlier statement to, "When we get back, we'll look for the choker _and_ the ribbon then. Now, let's get going, all right? Though Emiko-chan looks cute with her hair down like that."

Taking another bite of his apple happily, the dark haired boy left to get a head start on their long walk to school. A good idea, since both Sawada siblings were still in the stuttering, gaping, and cursing stage at the unexpected compliment. Once Emiko had fully comprehended what had been said, then and only then did it she take off running after the boy with the clear intention of punching him _square in the gut_. Feeling like a referee, Hiro gave chase as well.

- XI -

"Class, today we have an exchange student from Italy. Vancillo-kun, please introduce yourself," the teacher instructed in a bored monotone. The young boy standing next to their sensei nodded and stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"My name is Nico. I've been studying abroad in Venice for the past four years, but I've finally returned home. Please take good care of me." There were murmurs of appreciation for the boy's good looks, but there was little to no doubt he wasn't of Japanese origin. He had such sharp angles that more of his Italian heritage showed through as opposed to the Japanese half. Either way, it was clear the girls were going to be forming a fan-club soon.

Emiko rolled her eyes, scoffing. It was just like the majority of her 'friends' to fall head over heels for someone like that, someone mysterious and deceptively sweet. The kid put on quite the show of being nice for her classmates, but that didn't mean she had to believe it like them. Taking things at face value wasn't for her; she left that sort of thing to those who were more trusting.

"Have a seat beside Sawada-san in the back," the teacher was saying, causing Emiko to duck her head even as she was told to raise her hand to show the new kid where he was supposed to sit. "Sawada-san, do you want detention again?" The man readjusted his glasses as if in challenge and Emiko had to grind her teeth to stop herself from saying something _impolite_ as she finally lifted up an arm to identify herself.

As much as she disliked the new kid having to sit by her, she disliked the thought of detention even more. Once the exchange student had taken the empty seat next to her, to her right, she immediately hissed out a quiet, "Don't talk to me," when the boy looked about ready to engage her in conversation. She thought she heard a mutter of, "you haven't changed much," but dismissed it. Either the foreigner had mispronounced a word or she had misheard because there was no way on earth she knew some prissy Italian boy and he sure as hell as wasn't going to get her attention just like that.

Lessons began shortly after the new student's introduction and Emiko sat through them in a daze, hardly paying attention. That was how she usually spent her days in school, day-dreaming about how to spend her time out of it. Today she was considering asking a friend to go out shopping with her after school. Her mother was getting off work early, a uncommon thing in itself, and had promised her a girls' day out last week. Her mom being her mom had insisted she bring along one of her friends. Hence her current dilemma on who to ask. She wasn't very close with anyone but her brother these days, but she had a feeling showing up with her big brother as company wasn't exactly what her mom had intended when she had mentioned a 'girls' day out'. _Even if nii-san does act girly sometimes, that doesn't mean I should treat him like one._ Smirking lightly, she began to tap out a beat with her pencil instead of taking notes. _But mom says dad was like that too when he was our age. Wonder what she meant. _

"Sawada-san, since you're paying such great attention, could you please tell me what the answer to question number four is?"

Emiko glanced down at her open textbook, bored. She didn't pay attention too much, but this was her favorite subject, history, and she wasn't going to let the teacher get away with embarrassing her. "Question four, yeah?" Reading it over one last time, she felt confident in her answer, enough to reply with, "Well, you could have given me a challenge, sensei." Some of her classmates gave her funny looks, always having found her strange, but she didn't let that bother her. She wasn't very smart or good looking or even attention worthy. But when it came to her history, the history of Japan, she was dedicated. "The Yayoi period was when new practices like rice farming and weaving began. Travelers brought them from over seas. From Korea or China, depending on the practice. 'Cause, yeah. No two places can be called the same, right? And we all got different ways of doing things. Their cultures influenced ours, sure, but we are who we are."

Grudgingly, her teacher nodded in confirmation of that being correct. The first part. "We could have done without your opinions added into the mix, but that is the correct answer. Now, Takada-kun, please read the next portion of -"

She zoned back out with a sigh. Ah, the envious life of an average, ordinary middle school student.

- XI -

Emiko was seething, absolutely _seething_, as she dripped from head to toe in what was unmistakably maple syrup. "Oh my _god_. Yoshida, you are so dead!" She was sticky and uncomfortable and this was _not_ how she had planned to spend her lunch period.

"Ahaha, sorry, Emiko-chan." The nerve of her senpai, smiling at her and laughing despite it being his entire fault. "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said in an attempt to calm her down. It didn't work, the older boy wisely backing up until his back hit a wall, hands held out defensively in front of him. "Maa, maa, don't get so worked up. It's not good for your blood pressure!" The half-hearted joke fell on deaf ears. She raised a hand, ready to slap the boy despite the height difference, but her wrist was caught halfway to her intended target. "You're late, Hiro," Daichi said with a relieved smile, not at all accusing. "What kept you?"

"I was getting lunch and the canteen was crowded," explained Hiro with a shrug. "What's going on here? Were you trying to get me with syrup _again_, Daichi?" Her brother 'tsked' in a way that made an event like this seem typical. She had to wonder what exactly the two of them got up to when she wasn't around if that was the case. _Since when are food condiments used to say hi? _"Ugh, trust me on this, Emiko. It's going to be a bitch to get out of your hair. You're going to have to wash it like fifty million times."

Retracting her hand from her brother's grip with a scowl, she turned on him instead. "Your friend is a pain in the ass! Why in the name of all that is good and holy do you put up with him?" she demanded petulantly, crossing her arms like a child of five – a _spoiled_ child of five. Belatedly, she realized that probably wasn't the best idea, for her arms were now beginning to stick together. She heard a few snickers and shot both boys equally displeased glares. "Think this is funny, do you?"

"Of course not," they more or less said in unison, causing the two of them to look long and hard at each other before breaking out into full-fledged laughter.

Emiko tapped her foot impatiently and waited for them to stop. When that didn't seem to be happening any time soon, she snapped, her amber eyes catching the glare from the sun and flashing dangerously. "If you two are done," they weren't, "could we get back to the _point_? I can't go around school like this! I'll stick to everything!"

It was a fairly good point too. Hiro had been in the same boat before, he could vouch for that. Why his friend had picked today of all days to try and pull a stunt like that, he wasn't too sure, but he had a feeling he knew and he hoped that feeling was lying to him. _Why would Daichi intentionally do this to my sister anyway? He knows she has a temper._ He was about to suggest she head down to the gym and ask to use the showers, but stopped short, frowning. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, making him wonder distantly if there was someone watching them or if he was letting these strange feelings of intuition get to him lately. He peeked over his shoulder and nearly face-planted into the wall if Daichi hadn't been there to steady him worriedly. "Wha – what are you doing here?"

Violet eyes stared back, mocking him. "Ah, do I know you? I'm new," the boy stated smoothly in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, "and I'm afraid I don't know too many people here yet. But maybe I could join you for lunch?" There was such honest hope in the way it was said that not even Hiroyuki could refuse. The exchange student breathed out a happy, "Thank you," when they agreed, walking calmly towards their little group and taking a seat nearby. "I like it up here. The roof. What a nice place to eat …" the new boy mused airily.

Hiro bit down hard on his lip, forestalling any sharp remarks he wanted to make. _Is this an act or what? _"U-Uh, well, you can stay here and eat with Daichi." He handed his friend the lunch he had bought wordlessly, the other boy giving him a curious look but accepting it nonetheless. "I have to make sure my sister gets cleaned up." Without waiting for a response, he caught her hand with his and started dragging her along. She didn't seem too mind, following after him with little to no protest. _She doesn't like that guy either,_ he realized and sped up, reaching for the rooftop door as he spoke up once more, for Daichi's benefit. "I'll be back soon, so save me some food." Or maybe it was for his own benefit, it was hard to tell with him.

- XI -

Emiko stared, stared, and then stared some more. "You didn't have to accompany me," she pointed out, an eyebrow arched in question. "You acted as if you knew him, do you?" Thinking it over, she made a connection and froze, asking stiffly, "Could he have been the one who sent that letter?"

Her brother thought it over, getting that 'in deep thought' look that she knew too well. She also knew better than to interrupt him when he got into one of those moods, only Daichi was allowed the privilege of that. _Because he's oh-so-special,_ she thought sarcastically. "He's just some weirdo I met on the way home," the explanation distracted Emiko enough to provoke a frown, uncertain of the truth behind it. "Don't give me that look. Come on, go get changed. I'll meet you back on the roof if you finish up in time. If not. See you at home."

She wouldn't admit it, but it hurt that he could easily leave her behind like that, like there were things he needed to keep from her. However, that was why she acted the way she acted, pretended to be tough when in reality all she wanted was for her brother to acknowledge her. She hadn't been able to go into that room when he was sick last night, not because of the urgent need to find her lost ribbon, but because she couldn't stand seeing her brother that way. To see him like that, it always invoked the same reaction: _he's not going to be there one day_. So she had forced herself to grow strong, refusing to let that happen, because that was her _brother _and she strangely wanted to protect him_. _From what, she couldn't say, but she had to find a way to make sure that unfathomable reality never came to pass.

"Don't worry, Emiko," she barely caught the words, "we'll find your ribbon, okay?" There was a flash of a small smile that was so rare to see directed at her that her heart warmed at the sight, but then it was gone and Hiro was walking calmly back down the hallway, hands in his pockets. Breathing out heavily, she leaned back against the wall nearest to the gym and deliberated how to go about explaining her situation to the teacher. It wasn't easy to do, what with thoughts of revenge taking up the majority of her mind, but she figured something would strike her in the form of inspiration sooner or later.

Inspiration did strike, a slow smirk playing at her lips as she watched a pair of students giggling about the latest rumor, but it wasn't for an excuse. No, she had the perfect idea for revenge. The fact that she was now partially stuck to the wall only served to strength her resolve.

It would have to be carried out soon, her plan. Once she was … unstuck from the wall.

- XI -

"That was fast," Daichi commented, wiping stray crumbs from his mouth and grinning. "What, did you ditch her and run back? Wait. You'd be out of breath if you did that. You're good at jumping, but not so much at running." The merciless teasing usually would have Hiro responding, whether positively or negatively would depend, but not today. He was still thinking over what his sister had said about the letter. "Oi, Hiro, you paying attention?" A hand was waved in front of the blond's face, Hiro blinking and attempting to recall when he had even sat down. The foreign exchange student was watching him quietly, finishing off his own lunch, and Daichi was steadily trying to get his attention.

"What?" He risked another glance at the new boy and then quickly settled for staring at Daichi when the kid unnerved him too much. "You did save me some food, right?" His friend's grin turned sheepish and he groaned. "You idiot! Now you owe me lunch."

"I know, I know!" Daichi laughed helplessly and scratched at his cheek. "Sorry, sorry. But I was _really_ hungry."

"Learn to make your own lunch for once," objected Hiroyuki adamantly. "Gah, and you wonder why I still call you an idiot? It's because you pull stunts like _this_ all the time!" He would have gone on with his tirade too, if it hadn't been for a fake cough diverting his attention and forcing him to snap, "What?" When his gaze met with violet once more, anger slowly disappeared, replaced with immediate forewarning. "Oh, you're still here?" He pretended to look abashed, "Forgot we had company, excuse us," and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach for a reason he couldn't properly explain. _This guy tried to kill me_, the rational portion of his brain was telling him, flat-out insisting he get away - far, far away - before something bad happened. Tending to ignore that part of his brain like the teenager he was, he stayed put. _There's something different about him._ Frowning, he couldn't place what though. _Except, yeah, him wearing the Namimori uniform doesn't seem right somehow. _

"Nothing to forgive," the boy waved off the false apology, "I merely was wondering why Sawada-san would fight with Yoshida here. You two seem so close," there was something bitter about the way it was said, but Hiro couldn't tell if Daichi had noticed it or not. "I hope I didn't cause any problems?"

"Nah," the older of the two dark haired boys was quick to intervene, "we just like to practice tough love. Ahaha, but Hiro can be so _mean_ when he wants to be." Hiro took that as his cue to thump his best friend upside the head, Daichi pouting slightly at the treatment. "See, see? Abuse!"

"Hiro." The Italian smiled pleasantly. "I like that name." Hiroyuki shivered and forced back last night's memories with a vengeance. "My name is Nico by the way, I'm from Italy." It was the exact same speech, the exact same infliction, the exact same everything. _What's going on?_

He turned to his best friend, gauging his response to the exchange student. Apparently Daichi _liked_ him, so Hiro let slip a sigh and held out a hand, figuring it was the proper thing to do. "I'm Sawada Hiroyuki. It's nice to meet you." His hand was accepted by a much slimmer one, fitting nicely with his. He tried not to think too much about that, wanting to forget how only last night that same slim hand had forced him to stay put as illusions hounded at his mind like a pack of hungry wolves. Those same illusions had barged savagely into his inner most thoughts and chased them off like a scared rabbit. _How did he even do that?_ But he wasn't supposed to be thinking about that, _couldn't_ think about that. _Maybe it was all in my head and I really am losing it._

"You know, in Italy," Nico's smile turned a bit more predatory, but that could have been Hiro's imagination working over time. He realized a little late that his hand was still being held in the other's grip and by now Daichi was giving them both a strange look. "Well, in Italy, we do this." Lips, warm and the slightest bit chapped, brushed against his cheek. The small act had Hiroyuki flushing a bright red, eyes wide, and it wasn't until a heartbeat later that he realized the meaning behind it. "That, Sawada Hiroyuki, is how we greet someone." The words were barely out of the boy's mouth before a punch was thrown. Nico nearly received the full force behind it too, if it hadn't been for Hiro grabbing his friend's wrist in an effort to stop the blow. It had been automatic, or else he probably would have allowed it to hit.

He was sure of one thing, though. Nico wasn't going to be joining them for any more lunches.

- XI -

"Did you hear?"

"Yeah, but is it true?"

"Wah! That two-timer!"

"No wonder we don't see Yuko-chan any more. He's seeing another girl!"

"Heh, at least it's not a guy. I mean, have you seen the way he is with Sawada-senpai?"

"It's disgusting, is what it is. Maybe that's why he needs the girls? 'Cause Sawada's not putting out."

"And where," a resent laden voice demanded, "did you hear _that_?" Sawada Hiroyuki was not the type to let rumors get to him easily, but it was difficult to let this one go considering what it was escalating into. His underclassmen stuttered and blushed and had the good grace to look ashamed. He couldn't take the matter entirely to heart because of that. It had been a misunderstanding, after all. "Are you referring to Daichi then? He's seeing Fujihara Yuko-san. At least know what you're talking about," Hiro reprimanded. He quirked an inquisitive eyebrow when it only seemed to bring on another bout of angry expletives from the first years. "What are you saying? Your senpai, seeing another girl? Don't make me laugh, guys."

They were from the judo club, Hiro noted idly, which explained why they were taking this so hard. Daichi was looked up to like an idol within the club and for him to supposedly cheat on his girlfriend was like a slap in the face to those who did the idolizing. It would be all over the school in no time if he didn't handle the matter quickly and fix it. "Who did you hear it from?" There was a hurried discussion between the underclassmen and then finally an answer was squeaked out by one of the more timid ones.

"I-It was the girls. They were talking about it during class." _Girls?_ Hiro frowned at the revelation. _Don't tell me Emiko's already made her move._ "T-They said someone saw senpai on a date with Inoue Katsumi-san last night." _And she picked a popular girl as a scapegoat on purpose!_

Knowing exactly why his sister had picked Katsumi, Hiro panicked and said the first thing that came to mind. "But that's not true at all," he stumbled out, a slight flush to his face, "because Daichi was with me all night." He hadn't stopped to think about it and it wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized his mistake. "Uh, not that we ... we wouldn't! Not on a date or anything. Y-Yeah. We're not like that," he insisted all in a rush, nervousness taking over. When he had calmed down, he waved a dismissive hand back and forth. "So don't take that the wrong way or anything, guys. And," he ignored the odd looks he was still getting, "shouldn't you be heading to practice anyway?" _I'm going to be late if this keeps up. _There was agreement amongst the underclassmen and they left without too much of a fuss, not wanting to be late for judo or miss the opportunity to confront their senpai directly.

Hiro didn't often pity his friends. It was demeaning to them. But in this case, he felt an exception was in order. There would be a load of awkward questions to answer now, surely. "That idiot better keep his mouth shut," he groaned, wanting to suddenly bang his head against the closest wall, "or he's going to make things a whole lot worse." _Like I haven't already._

His sister was in for an earful tonight when they got home. Well, when they got back to Yoshida residence anyway. _Concentrate on practice already, Sawada. You're late as it is! _He would have made a run for it, but as his best friend had pointed out to him during lunch, he wasn't that fast of a runner. So why bother? _Ugh, I hope Nakamura-senpai doesn't notice._

- XI -

"Where is Sawada-kouhai?" Nakamura Michi demanded. When he received no reply, he exhaled slowly, a tactic used to calm down his quickly rising temper, and ran a hand through his hair as a means of further distracting himself. He had dyed the ends red, some of the more observant students noticed. They whispered excitedly amongst themselves about how 'cool' their captain looked. They didn't think to ask why, or how, or anything of the sort, taking it in stride and adding it to the growing list of unique traits that made their captain, well, their captain.

Never mind that there had to have been a _reason_, since the ends hadn't been dyed that color yesterday. Then again, maybe if they have been paying attention to more important things besides his hair they would have realized that their captain hardly asked after anyone. Maybe then they would have considered why he wanted _Sawada_. Alas, it was probably for the best they didn't. Their usually indifferent captain didn't appear to be in the mood to entertain questions.

He would have asked again, rephrasing his inquiry to 'has anyone _seen_, Sawada-kouhai?', but a panting and out of breath blond stumbled into the archery club's practice circle before he could do just that. "You're late, kouhai. You'll stay after today and help me check equipment." Dark eyes narrowed into a glare when the younger boy looked about ready to protest. "Or was there some excuse you would like to use so I can repeat myself?"

Hiro wisely chose to stay silent, gaze lowered to the ground as he tried in vain to catch his breath. He had opted to run in the end, but like he had first assumed, it hadn't done him any good. _But since when does senpai single people out? _It was beginning to make him feel a little worn down, what with everyone acting so strangely all of a sudden. Well, stranger than normal at least. He rubbed at his forehead as his breathing finally returned to normal, straightening up to listen to his captain properly. Michi was discussing the line-up for the competition. Everyone was present, so it seemed the perfect opportunity to do so. He was only half-tuning it in, though, letting his thoughts drift back over the day's events and wondering when the madness would end already. First the threatening letter, then Daichi dumping syrup on his sister, followed by that second meeting with the creep from last night, and now his captain was forcing him to stay after? It was like the world was conspiring against him.

"Is that all right with you, Sawada-kouhai?" _Eh?_ Wide amber eyes looked around wildly for some sort of clue as to what had been said. He had missed that part, why had he missed that part! Coming up short on all accounts, he hesitated and glanced at Michi like he was expecting him to go postal right then and there. _Wait, did he just _smirk_ at me?_ "Ah. I guess I wasn't heard. Should we call for the nurse to have your ears looked at?" It was said with such general apathy that Hiro couldn't tell if it was a joke or not. There was plenty of laughter from his peers, but had Michi meant it to be funny? _Not that it matters_, he reminded himself sharply. "I'll say it again." While the older boy didn't appear to like the idea of doing that, he followed through with it. "The last member in the line-up is you, Sawada."

That was how Hiro decided that, yes, this day would go down in the history of his life as the worst day _ever_. "I-I can't." At least his voice hadn't completely abandoned him, he had been afraid of that. "I'm busy that day," he lied, folding his arms over his chest and attempting a worry-free smile. "That's why I told the team I couldn't yesterday. 'Cause I just, you know, can't be there." Some of his friends on the team seemed disappointed, taking it as truth, but it seemed Michi wasn't accepting no as an answer.

"Oh? And what could be so important? So important that it forces you to be unable to support your team, what is it?" Either their captain was actually curious about it or he hadn't been fooled. Hiro took it to mean the latter and nervously played with a loose string found on his jacket's sleeve. "Come on, Sawada-kouhai. Speak. Or is it too embarrassing?" The younger boy peeked up from under his eyelashes, warily judging the other's expression. There was something teasing about the way it had been said, but the older boy looked as impassive as ever.

"Er. That's … uh. I have to …" Whispers broke out, some accusing, some not, but all related to one thing: _does he really want to be in this club or not?_ "I guess I … nothing for it then. I'll try my best." He bit his lip slightly. _Just when I think I'm finally growing a spine, I give in _again_. _He didn't mind them questioning his loyalty to the club, that was fine, but there were other whispers, ones he didn't like. The ones that said _he's just here for popularity, he's really a good for nothing._

His skill wasn't the best, but that still gave them no right to doubt his love for archery. He didn't attend club practice and meetings just to show off or gain instant popularity. Where had they come up with that idea? He loved what he did. The feel of a bowstring being drawn in his hand, it was a feeling he couldn't live without. He had truly fallen in love with archery. Ever since Gokudera Hayato had showed him how to shoot an arrow at a target range, he had kept up with practice and made improvements, struggling through each and every day. He never skipped out on a day's worth of practice, never felt down when he missed a target, he just kept _trying_ because that was the only thing he could do if he ever wanted to get better. His dad had even scolded him once when he had come home with bloodied hands from overuse, his dedication to archery going further than either of them thought it would.

"I'm glad we could agree," Michi nodded and continued after a clap of his hands to make sure all attention was back on him. "Now everyone go get changed so we can start practice. The details can wait until later." _Great_, Hiro thought wearily. _Meaning there goes free time. You're scheduling extra practice for those competing in the tournament, aren't you? Gah. Senpai, you're so mean. _


	3. The Mouse Ran Up the Clock

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Author's Note: **Now to pick up where that last chapter left off~ I'm not sure whether to call this a sap fest or what, haha. Oh well.

* * *

**  
Warning Three: The Mouse Ran Up the Clock**

While her brother was busy with club practice, Emiko found other ways to keep herself entertained. Namely, scaring off anyone and everyone who dared to approach her, like a game, one meant to pass the time. Smirking, she watched her latest target – a third year with an attitude - scamper off like a pup with its tail between its legs and laughed quietly to herself.

"You're playing around again, Sawada-sama?"

The brunette twitched, hating to be addressed like that. "Hitomi, I thought I told you to stop calling me that. It's Emiko, say it with me now!" She purposely dragged out the syllables of her name again, hoping that today might be the day she could actually convince the older girl to call her something less constricting. Her attempt was spectacularly _unsuccessful_.

"But Sawada-sama," the short haired girl seemed flustered, letting her slanted bangs hide her eyes as she looked down, "that would be disrespectful!" Emiko had never understood that, but it wasn't as if Hitomi would explain herself today, just like any other day, so she let it slide. "Well," and here came the part Emiko had foreseen as inevitable, "if you're done with school, let me walk you home?"

"Che, whatever," was the answer to that, Emiko heading for the school gates without looking back. The older girl followed, accustomed to her friend's curt mannerisms, and attempted a bit small talk along the way. Keyword being attempted because Emiko was quick to yell, "If you don't have something important to say, then don't say it at all!" A couple of tense moments later and then the younger girl rephrased, "Unless you're going to stop calling me Sawada-sama, then I'm all ears." Since Hitomi wasn't about to that, much to the vexation of Emiko, the walk to the Yoshida residence was a quiet one.

- XI -

Bringing his middle finger up to his mouth, Hiro nursed the sore skin there, whimpering slightly. He had taken the fingers tabs off already to get a better look at the damage done to his left hand, but even the protection of the finger tabs hadn't been enough to spare his fingers. _Owwww. Overuse again, damn._ It was the early stages of it, but he had learned to catch himself before he completely over did it, not wanting a repeat of blood-stained fingers. That didn't make it any less painful to admit, especially since he was going to have to take a break now_. _Setting his bow down and resigned to his fate, he reached for the nearby water bottle and took a long pull from it. The sweet, slightly bitter taste of an iced cappuccino hit his tongue. The blond had long ago found he liked that taste. He could thank Gokudera Hayato for that too, though it had been more of an accident as opposed to his teachings in archery. Grinning in memory, he could still recall the angry shout of, _"Get back here with my espresso, midget!"_ He wished he could go back to that time, he missed those days. Rather than worrying about growing up, he had been more concerned about the latest baseball scores, or whether or not his dad would come home early so he could get a piggy-back ride. Being a kid had been so much _easier_.

"Are you finished for the day?" The clipped query came from somewhere off to his left, severe and critical, but Hiro didn't mind. His limits had been reached and he wasn't going to push it until he felt confident he could keep going without it leading to bandages and another long lecture from his father. _Plus, Takeshi-occhan. He would kill me if he found out I did something that stupid again._

"Kind of," he replied unthinkingly, wiping the sweat from the back of his neck and taking a few more swallows from his drink. "You wanna use my target?" he supposed, flicking amber eyes in the direction of the speaker. When it finally sunk in who he was addressing, his blood ran cold, and then suddenly hot. The feeling was so at odds with itself that he couldn't think of anything to compare it to. "A-Ah, Nakamura-senpai." He couldn't believe he had admitted to slacking in front of a captain, _his_ captain. _Forget Takeshi-occhan, senpai's going to kill me instead._ His luck had already been expended to save his neck the other day. He couldn't count on it to save him now. "Sorry, sorry! I'll get back to practice right away."

Putting his water bottle aside, he picked up his bow and the last arrow in his bag and readied them both for a shot. He noticed his senpai admiring his bow form out of the corner of his eye and felt a little pleased when he found approval there. Drawing the string back as far as he could, he aimed. His hands were as steady as they were going to get and his eyes now saw nothing but his target. He let out a hiss as the arrow was released and glanced down at his hand. _Way to go, Sawada, forgetting something?_ His thumb as well as the two fingers next to it were raw and bleeding, testament to the string's final duet with his drawing hand. It had been such a novice mistake he had made too. _Where the hell did I put my finger tabs?_

"Kouhai," Hiro kept his head lowered, blond bangs covering his eyes, "your hand." He nearly pulled away when his wrist was caught, someone taking the bow from him and tossing it lightly off to the side. "Let me see." Belatedly realizing what Michi meant, having instinctively balled his bleeding hand into a fist, he relaxed and allowed the older boy to see, but grimaced when the wounds were touched. "Exactly how often do you practice?" There was a hint of awe in that usually so unresponsive voice, but it was replaced too soon for Hiro's liking with disappointment. "You should know better than to let it get this bad." It was a statement meant to scold, but the blond's lips twitched as if he wanted to smile. _It's almost like he's worried._ "Come with me. I have a first aid kit in the changing room," Michi was the ever dutiful captain for a change.

More or less dragged, Hiroyuki had no choice but to go along with it, stumbling into the boys' changing room inside the club house. His wrist was let go abruptly and the unbalance caused him to crash into the closest wall, but thankfully not the floor. In a mild daze, the blond took a seat on a bench and watched his senpai pull down a first aid kit from medical cabinet. All the while he kept thinking the same thing over and over: _is this really necessary?_ It wasn't exactly an life-or-death, end-of-the-world situation, surely –

"Hold out your hand again." Michi was crouching in front of him by now, holding out a hand expectantly. The blond was reluctant to comply, if only because the piece of cotton in the archery captain's other hand looked suspicious. "Come on, Sawada, I haven't got all day."

"But this is going to _hurt_." Hiro had been through this before, he knew what to expect. He held out his injured hand anyway. _Might as well get it over with._ He wanted to ask if he could do it himself, but with the way Michi was being so insistent, it wasn't likely to happen.

"Probably," the older boy responded as if it hadn't been rhetorical. The blond winced as the antiseptic was brushed over his irritated skin without further prelude. Michi made quick work of the cleaning, calm and efficient and able to finish swiftly. Once that was done, he moved on to bandaging to ensure the wounds didn't get infected on the way home, apparently knowing at least a little of what he was doing. "There. Done. Now I have a question." The archery captain looked absolutely serious about whatever it was, making Hiro fidget on the spot. _Is he going to yell at me again? _He watched as his senpai rocked back on his heels, getting ready to stand. "Did you notice?"

Raising an eyebrow, Hiro replied with an intelligent, "Ah?"

"Mm. Guess not." The older boy straightened up, clasping his hands behind his back. He looked down at Hiro with the expected apathy, admitting, "I couldn't let a kouhai out do me in hair fashion, could I?"

The blond gaped. _What?_ He could have handled a reprimand, a simple 'don't let me catch you bleeding at practice again', but where had _that_ come from? He stuttered out a similarly intelligent, "H-Huh?" Although, now that Michi mentioned it, he _had_ noticed something different about his captain, he just hadn't been able to place it. _So that's why. He dyed some of it red, neat. … wait. Did he … he couldn't have. I mean, who actually wears rice in their hair and thinks it's fashion?!_ His senpai had gotten the wrong impression _entirely_ if that were the case.

"Well. Let's get back to practice. You pack up and get started with the clean-up duty. I have to speak with the others about extra practice, which you'll be sitting out of until further notice," the captain dismissed, the switch from random to important making Hiro's head spin.

_Wait, what does he mean I'll be sitting out until further notice? No fair! _He couldn't work up the courage to say it out loud and settled for sighing, "Okay, Nakamura-senpai." _Oh well, Hayato-occhan will know what to do._

"Good. And I'll know if you don't lay off the extra practice until your hand is healed, so don't even think about trying it," warned Michi, walking towards the exit. "It's important everyone is in top shape for next week's tournament. Even if that means taking a break." The archery captain paused with one foot out the door, turning back, "Bet you didn't notice you hit a bull's eye either, Sawada. And _that _is why you deserve a break. Deal with it." Put that bluntly, Hiro had little time to let the shock sink in – _I hit a bull's eye for crying out loud! – _before he had to nod in agreement, accepting that a break was necessary. His senpai let a fleeting smile show and then left. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Hiro realized he was gaping again and hastened to close his mouth, lest a fly get in and choke him on his own disbelief. Had Captain Nakamura actually, truly _smiled_? Like everything else lately, maybe that had been a figment of his imagination too.

- XI -

It wasn't every day that one's best friend walked in looking like someone had kicked their imaginary puppy. Not that Daichi thought Hiroyuki had an imaginary puppy or anything. "Hey, what happened to your hand? You don't look so good, man." The spiky haired boy shifted on the couch to get a better view of his friend. He was a little tired and didn't feel like getting up right now, but his concern was still there. Concern that wouldn't be easily dissuaded.

"Nothing, nothing," Hiro played it off as if his hand _wasn't_ throbbing and still sore to the touch. Then, dropping his school bag next to an armchair, he plopped down on couch as well, nearly sitting on Daichi's legs in the process. The other boy was fast enough to move them out of the way, not really wanting someone using him as a seat. "How was judo?" The blond hid a yawn behind his hand and leaned his head back, getting comfortable.

Daichi didn't miss a beat. "It was crazy, man. The guys have this weird idea in their heads that I'm dating someone besides Yuko, and pft. Get this. One of them even had the balls to ask if it was _you_."

The blond laughed nervously, closing his eyes. "W-Where would they get that idea?"

"I know, right? It's weird they would think that." The taller of the two scratched his cheek. "I mean, when did I give them the impression that I liked you that way? As if I like _anyone_ that way." It was true. Hiro remembered his friend admitting in private that he hadn't even liked his girlfriend that way. That was why the dates between them had grown more and more infrequent as of late and that, in turn, had caused their classmates to become suspicious. No wonder Emiko had chosen rumors as her weapon of retaliation. It was easy to influence the rumor windmill when there were already circulating ones doing the work for her. All she had to do was add the right one into the mix and presto! Instant result.

_She's too smart for her own good sometimes,_ Hiro thought resentfully, _but did she have to get me involved in this as well? _He shook off the voice in his head reminding him it had been his own fault. "Yeah, what were they thinking," agreed Hiro in a half-hearted tone, "like you're capable of being anything other than an idiot's idiot."

The other boy pretended to take offense. "Hey, come on. That's cold, man. I'm capable of love!" Ignoring the protesting of his sore limbs from practice, Daichi moved into a kneeling position on the couch, pumping an excited fist in the air and going, "Yosh! That's it! I'll show Hiro-chan I'm capable of love no matter what!"

Hiro was mildly concerned for his friend's sanity. Or lack thereof. "Oh? And how do you propose you're going to go about doing that?" Scoffing at the absurdity of what he was about to say, Hiro went along with the joke anyway, "I'm flattered, really, but you're not my type so -"

"Ahahaha! What are you talking about?" Blond eyebrows shot skywards as Hiro became aware of the embarrassed flush on his friend's face. _I was only teasing, idiot._ "I meant," Daichi declared much too loudly for a normal person's ears, "I'm gonna call Yuko _right now_ and set these rumors straight once and for all."

"You do that," the blond cheered, offering a _hopefully_ believable smile. "Just leave me out of it, if you know what's good for you. I get the feeling Yuko-san doesn't like me very much." _Gah, what an understatement. _Fujihara Yuko was a scary girl in Hiroyuki's opinion. She was arrogant and aggressive, willing to go to any lengths to get what she wanted. How his friend had ended up dating someone like that in the first place, he wasn't too sure. _Stupid idiot lets her walk all over him. _

"Whaddya mean, doesn't like you?" Daichi leaned back until he was resting on his heels in an almost traditional style. "What are you talking about, Hiro? I was under the impression you two got along pretty well."

One eye twitched, Hiro immediately thinking, _Oooh yeah, he's an idiot all right._ The only reason he even tolerated Yuko was for Daichi. If not, she would be fairly high up on his 'people to avoid' list. "Sure we get along," the blond flat-out lied, "but that doesn't mean she likes me a whole lot, you know?" _She plays nice while you're around, but as soon as you're gone … well, you should hear some of the stuff she comes up with, Daichi. She's a nutcase._

The taller boy was quiet for a while, no doubt mulling over a way to respond to that. Eventually he found the words and they were spoken swiftly. "She's such a tomboy, I know. But bear with it for a little while longer. Let's clear up these rumors and then I'll find a way to break up with her."

Hiro wondered what kind of idiot even _thought_ of breaking up with a girl like Yuko, given some of her more violent tendencies, but then quickly amended that in his mind. _Daichi's just that kind of idiot. _"It's not like you have to break up with her," Hiro insisted, "it could still work out."

"I doubt it." The other boy shrugged as if it were of no concern to him. "It was fun while it lasted, I guess, but we just don't click anymore." Figuring that was a good enough explanation as any, Daichi reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone, sliding the top screen up to punch in a set command. The phone was raised to his ear a moment later, the dark haired teen waiting for someone to pick up on the other line.

Slouching further back into the couch, Hiro tried to disappear. He half-wanted to leave, to allow his friend some privacy, but one look at Daichi and he knew that was out of the question. The other boy had that _don't you dare think about leaving_ vibe about him and the expression on his face – well, Hiro knew that had taken time to master. The blond often made a habit of skipping out on people when he was hurt or upset, so yeah, Daichi had received plenty of practice over the years to perfect that one look.

"Hey, Yuko," Daichi was saying sweetly into the phone, Hiro chanting in his head _I'm not here, I'm not here._ "Yeah, I missed you too." There was a pause and the blond had to bite back the strong urge to gag when they started exchanging lovey dovey pleasantries. Then, as if reading his friend's mind, Daichi said in a placating tone, "No, no, none of that's true. That's actually why I was calling." Another pause, this one longer than the last. A frown started to take shape on the taller boy's face. "Yeah. It's true I was with Hiro last night. He was sick, got some fumes in his lungs or something since he went home when the exterminators were there. You know how forgetful he can get." Hiro furrowed his brows in bemusement. _What exterminators?_

A strangled laugh left Daichi, drawing the blond's attention back to the conversation. "No, he's still alive, Yuko. Hah! That's what I like about you. You're always so funny." _Actually, no, she's not. You're just an idiot, Dai._ Covering his eyes with a hand, Hiro tuned the rest of the small talk out. Well, tried to, until he heard his name mentioned again. "What about Hiroyuki? Yeah, he's staying here. Why?"

It was quiet enough in the house that Hiro was able to hear the reply of, _"You have to ask why? Because he's always taking advantage of you, that's why."_

Daichi kept his gaze down, refusing to look at the now annoyed Hiroyuki. "That's not true, Yuko, and you know it. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow. We'll walk home together." He clicked the end button before she could get another word in. "Okay, maybe you were right about her not liking you," Daichi admitted sheepishly, "but moving on. Shouldn't we get started with that search?"

It took a moment for Hiro to catch on. "Oh, uh, yeah. Sure." Then, realizing _why_ the house was so quiet finally, he sat up straighter and fixed an inquisitive stare on his friend. "Wait, what about Emiko? She should have been here."

Daichi stared back, unfazed, and pocketed his cell. "To be honest, I thought she was with you. Know where she could be?"

"She's obviously not with me," Hiro scolded tiredly, "why else would we be speaking in indoor voices?" Running a hand through his hair, he thought over all the places she could be and settled on, "She's probably at the hospital again with mom or – or -"

"Excuse the intrusion," grumbled someone from the outer room where shoes were exchanged for slippers, forestalling Hiro's worries. "You're slow, Hitomi, keep up!" A brown haired girl appeared at the main room's entrance, followed closely by another girl. "Yo, dumb and dumber, where ya been?"

"Shouldn't that be the other way around?" Hiro accused.

"No," the girl was so sure of herself, "because I got here before either of you idiots. And guess what?" She spared them the trouble of replying and said, "Yeah, no key-code, no entry." A thumb was jerked backwards in the direction they had just come from, nearly hitting the other girl in the eye. "You guys forgot about that, huh?" Both boys looked suitably chastised. "Che, we got tired of waiting so I dragged Hitomi across the street to have ice cream with me."

That didn't explain why the darker haired of the two girls was still holding two semi-melted ice cream cones. "Uh, right. Emiko why is -" He recoiled back into the couch when one of the cones was suddenly thrust into his face, taken aback by the abruptness. _When did she get so close?_ The girl evidently wanted him to have the ice cream so he politely accepted, if only to get her to back up a bit. "Thank you?" The girl flushed a bright red and quickly moved on, holding the other cone out to Daichi. "Tomato-chan's always so, um, thoughtful."

"Don't call her that." The first girl, the one and only Emiko, had by now taken a seat on the arm of the Yoshida's couch, scowling down at her brother. "Address her with more respect."

"Really?" Hiro tilted his head to the side, quirking an eyebrow up at her. "Before you go condemning others, think about yourself first. You're the one using her first name, right? Did she ever give you permission to?"

Emiko bristled, not taking that too well. "She's my friend. And if she had a problem with it, she would have told me by now." The other girl, Hitomi, said nothing as she sat down next to Daichi, the judoka making room for her. "See? She's got nothing against it! You're the one with the problem!"

The blond clucked his tongue in disagreement and then looked over at Hitomi imploringly. "Please tell one of us off. Else she's going to keep going on and on about it until she's as red in the face as you are, Tomato-chan."

Blushing further, Hitomi kept her head down and dutifully replied in an attempt to appease the other Sawada. "Um, well," she stumbled out, "I-I don't think I can do that, Sawada-sama."

It was surprisingly _both_ Emiko and Hiro that shouted a protest - only not for the unwillingness to tell one of them off. "Don't call us that! How many times do we have to say it?" It seemed there was one thing they _could_ agree on and that was Hitomi's overly formal way of addressing them was a bit too much. They looked at each other, glared, and then crossed their arms, 'hmph'ing and staring in opposite directions. The other two merely watched in borderline amusement, neither of them willing to spoil the sibling-bonding moment. Until, of course, Daichi got bored.

"Now that we're all here and accounted for," the taller boy started with a laugh as he finished licking the melted ice cream off his fingers, "can't we go ahead and look for those missing things we gotta find or whatever? We've only got three days! Let's go, go! Fight, fight!"

Hitomi was the only one in the room who didn't understand and calmly let the excitement of the judo member roll off her as she asked, "What are we looking for exactly?"

Emiko turned to her friend, ready to explain, but Hiro cut her off with a well-placed, "What are you even doing here, Gokudera?"

Light green eyes widened slightly, uncertainty clouding Hitomi's judgment. "W-well, I … I was just going to go home once I knew Sawada-sa …" The glares she received had her stopping and amending herself at once. "I mean, once I-I knew Emiko-sama was here, safe and sound, and out of harm's way, but she asked me to stick around." She fiddled with the hem of her skirt nervously. "I didn't think Dad would mind, so I decided why not. Is that not okay with you, Hiroyuki-sama?"

"No, it's fine," Hiro's answer was flat, neither too thrilled at the company nor willing to turn her away. "But that's unlike you, Emiko." His attention was back on his sister, curiosity getting the better of him. "You planning on making her spend the night too, while you're at it?"

"Of course not! How rude would that be?" Emiko made a face and slapped him upside the head. "This isn't our house, yeah? Now eat your damn ice cream soup and shut up."

Hiro let out a loud, "Hiiie!" The cone had practically melted all over his hand by now. _What a mess._

- XI -

Two decisions had been reached while the boys were finishing off their ice creams. One, they would break up into pairs to do the searching. And two, the first to find either the ribbon or the choker would be the winner and the losing team would have to treat them to lunch tomorrow. With a competition like that fueling them, the four kids were hard-pressed to leave any place unchecked.

"Ah, think I found someth – no, wait, my bad. Just a shoelace."

Hiro didn't ask why his friend had a shoelace in his _underwear _drawer of all places and kept looking through the desk that hardly ever saw any use. There was no sign of anything resembling a necklace or a hair-tie, but he _did_ find something, just not the something he had been expecting. "Eh, this is that photo album …" His hand trailed over the embroidered cover before he pulled it out of the drawer and sat it atop of the desk. "I forgot I brought this with me." He flipped through the pages with a growing unease. There went his rationalization that everything from last night had been a dream or some kind of freaky coincidence. "Um, did you -?" The blond sighed and stopped short. It was almost like he was about to accuse his friend of looking at something inappropriate, but Daichi had every right to look in a photo album. It was just a photo album, after all. _But if he saw mom's family name, it'd lead to another fight._ After the day he had had, he really didn't want that to happen. Another argument with Daichi would just about finish off what was left of his sanity. "Never mind. There's nothing here. Let's move on to the kitchen or look in the washing room. The girls are probably way ahead of us."

"Okay," Daichi was happy to oblige, "to the kitchen it is then. We can't lose!"

_Just as easy to distract as always, huh? _Hiro went to shut the album with his left hand unthinkingly and winced when the bandages pressed into the raw skin underneath. His friend was beside him immediately, snatching up his hand and inspecting it. He would have swore, the jostling making it hurt worse, but his friend was frowning and speaking before he even had the chance to think.

"You pushed yourself too hard at practice again, didn't you?" The dark haired boy snorted and dropped the hand he was holding. "Why do you do that? It's like you don't give a shit what happens to you sometimes," the taller boy scolded, reaching out and grabbing his friend by the tie. He tugged the blond forward and crashed their foreheads together. "But oi. Who did your bandages? It's too sloppy to be your work."

That was true. Hiro had had a lot of practice in that field thanks to his mother knowing how to tend to wounds. He wasn't as good as his mother, or his sister for that matter, but he knew the basics and happened to be a bit of a perfectionist when it came to applying them. Of course his friend would notice the difference. "It was Nakamura-senpai," he didn't see any harm in saying. "He helped me out. I guess he felt bad for making me stay late." It was said jokingly, but the more Hiro thought about it, the more truth he saw in it. _Senpai's got a really weird way of expressing himself …_

"Hm? Nakamura? Well, huh, who would have thought he had a nice side too?" Hiro didn't like where this was going. "Or maybe it's just a weakness of his? For cute blonds, no less!" Yes, he definitely didn't like where this was going. "Ahaha, gotta remember to give Nakamura my blessing next time I see him," the dark haired boy mused with absolute seriousness.

Hiro blanched. "That's not funny, Yoshida!" _I won't be able to look at senpai the right way again. _

"Pfft, haha! You should see your face!" Daichi's good mood was rather contagious and even Hiro couldn't help but crack a smile in the end. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, though, as soon as his friend said, "See, even _you_ know he has a thing for you!"

"Not funny," the blond grumbled, pushing his friend away. "Come on, idiot, the girls are still at the advantage. Let's get going."

Properly distracted like Hiro had been hoping, Daichi was already half-way out the door. "What are you waiting for, slow poke? Let's go, go, go!"

- XI -

An hour and a half later and still no results. It was a depressing situation. Collapsing back onto to the couch, Daichi let out an exhausted sigh and looked over at girls sitting cross-legged on the floor. "No luck either?"

"None," Emiko snapped, glaring at no one in particular. "I told Hitomi about the letter while we were searching. She says it might be best we tell someone." She balled her hands into fists and rested them in her lap. "I don't think that would go over too well, do you guys? I mean, who would believe a bunch of kids about a Phantom Thief targeting them? Don't make me laugh."

Hitomi kept her head down, taking the verbal lashing as if it were to be expected. "Then we'll just have to keep trying. What's been stolen … it's not in the house, we know that. Maybe we should broaden our horizons?"

"To what? The whole town?" Hiro shook his head as he took a seat on the couch's arm, much like his sister had done before. "That won't work. It would take us more than three days to cover that kind of area. Hell, we only have two days starting tomorrow. How could anyone possibly expect us to win this game?"

"That's simple. They don't." Daichi didn't look too pleased at being the one to say it, but it had to be said. "Maybe it really is just a joke," he insisted with a lopsided smile. "I can't think of any reason why the _real_ Phantom Thief would target you guys, so it's probably just a gag by someone looking to scare you."

"Maybe," Hiro said to appease his friend's hope. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I've got homework. So …" He glanced at his friend. "Mind if I use your desk?" Daichi gave him a thumbs-up. "Daichi, why don't you help me with math? I still don't get those quadratic equations."

The other boy pouted, but began to stand anyway. "Oh well, it can't be helped."

"Yo, nii-san." Hiro met his sister's displeased stare, quirking an eyebrow. "Hitomi and I are going to go meet mom at the hospital, okay? She's off early today, so we're going shopping. Make sure you listen to Yoshida, I guess," Emiko added the last part reluctantly.

"… You're kidding, right? Leaving me alone with this idiot?" Hiro waved a hand at the 'idiot', pretending to be horrified. "I won't last until you get back, Emiko! Take me with you!"

The brunette had to stifle a laugh. "Sure, sure. You can come with us, nii-san! Let's see, there's this new dress I've been _dying_ to get your opinion on."

"As much fun as that sounds," Hiro shivered, proving it didn't sound fun at all, "I think I'll pass. I'll take my chances with the idiot."

The 'idiot' scoffed, acting as if he had just been insulted. "Oh, fine, now you say that. See if I help _you_ with math any more, Sawada."

The girls left, giggling the entire way. Once they were gone, Hiro turned to his best friend and smiled, giving him the best 'you know you love me' look that he could manage. It was moments like this he wished could last forever, if only because they made life worth living. "Shall we start with math then?" Hiro asked as innocuously as possible.

Daichi grinned and interlaced his fingers behind his neck, giving the blond a cocky wink. "That's fine. But you so owe me one."

"Don't push it, Yoshida," warned Hiro, standing, "you ate my lunch today, don't think I've forgotten about that. It's _you_ who owes _me._" Ah, friends. Definitely had to love them.

"Woah! Hiro's angry. Angry Hiro! Everyone run for the hills. Scary," the judoka laughed, which died down into a, "I didn't mean it, Hiro!" as soon as the aggravated blond lunged into a tackle. Needless to say, not much homework was finished until their inpromptu wrestling match was over - and at least Daichi could boast about winning later.


	4. Carefully Laid Plans

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Author's Note: **Slow, slow progress.

But thanks for reading, dotYui. I'm glad you like it so far. And hehe, you like Michi? His character was fun to come up with and I have a lot planned for him. Hopefully involving a certain Guardian, but I'll leave the who to your imagination for the time being. Don't … want to give too much away before things get _really_ interesting, after all.

As far as updates go, I think every weekend sounds about right (or not). So … possibly every Saturday starting today? Something like that.

Anyway, on with the story~!

* * *

**  
Warning Four: Carefully Laid Plans  
**

"_Good morning, citizens of Namimori! Today we have a very important announcement to make."_

A sleepy blond tuned out the reporter's overly cheerful voice, trying to wake up and put his uniform on before Daichi returned from his early morning jog. His friend had left the TV on for whatever reason and the noise was aggravating him to no end. It served its purpose in waking him up, but that didn't mean he _wanted_ to be awake. Why did his best friend have to go and be such a damn morning person?

"… _Phantom Thief … sighted … suspected to be armed … do not approach."_

Now _that_ caught his attention. Interest piqued, Hiro sat down on the spare futon in his friend's room and watched the report. He tugged on his socks without looking down, eyes never straying from the television.

"_Sources say the suspect is an eighteen year old male of average height and build, going by the name of Kano, and appears to be living in the downtown area. Nothing more is known about him currently, but if anyone has any further information pertaining to the case, do not hesitate to call our hotlines. We advise parents and teachers alike to …"_

Pulling on his shoes, Hiroyuki ignored the rest of the broadcast. _So they don't know much about him either, huh. _It hadn't been of any help, but he did know someone who _could_ give him the information he was looking for, the kind that wasn't allowed to go public. He finished tying his shoes and headed for the bedroom door, glad he had gotten up early after all.

He found his way to the kitchen a few minutes later, a pleasant aroma in the air as breakfast was cooked. "Good morning, Yoshida-san," he greeted the woman by stove, and then hid a yawn, "did mom leave already?" He didn't bother to ask about his father, he already knew the man was gone. His father always left early on Fridays. The why behind that was a mystery, but his father was full of them lately. Pulling out a chair, he had a seat at the table and then glanced at his watch. _It'll be another ten minutes before Daichi gets back. _There was plenty of time to ask a couple of questions without arousing suspicion then.

"Ah, Hiro-chan, did that spoiled son of mine wake you up again?" Daichi's mother, Yoshida Reiko, looked over her shoulder with a bright smile for her guest. "That's just like him. I'll be sure to yell at him properly tonight."

Hiro chuckled and propped up an elbow on the table. "It's fine, really. But man, how does he do it? I can't stand getting up this early."

She wiped her hands on a small towel and then turned to give Hiro her full attention. "That would be his father's fault. He was the morning type too." The dark haired woman scrunched up her nose. "I couldn't stand it either. When there was a day I could sleep in, I wanted to _sleep in_." She laughed a little and then walked over to have a seat across from him at the table. "So are you enjoying your stay here despite that no good son of mine?" Her smile broadened as she reached for the mug in front of her, taking a sip from it. "Oh, but where are my manners! Are you thirsty? I could make you some tea."

"No thanks," the blond had to turn down her offer, "you've been too kind as it is. Letting my family stay here and all. Thank you very much. For everything."

Reiko waved a hand and leaned back in her seat. "It's not a problem at all, you know that! Anything for Dai-chan's best friend. It's the least I can do. You've taken such good care of him."

Smiling, Hiro admitted, "But he's not really the type that needs worrying about or anything. I'm lucky to have him as a friend." Going quiet, he tried to figure out the best way to approach the _real_ topic he wanted to discuss. "But, Yoshida-san," he began softly, "I kind of do have something I want to ask of you."

"Hm? What's on your mind, Hiro-chan?" Reiko offered yet another warm smile, showing there was no reason to hesitate.

Hiro straightened up in his chair, idly tapping his fingers against the table's surface. "It's just … Daichi mentioned something about you doing a report on that Phantom Thief?"

The dark haired woman seemed to instantly brighten, brown eyes lighting up with unmistakable challenge. "Ah, yes, the infamous Kano-sama!" Her grin turned into more of a smirk. "I've been on his case for a while now, nearly a month. He's an interesting one, that thief. What is it you want to know about him?" She eyed her son's friend curiously before adding, "And why?"

"For a school project," the young Sawada explained without meeting her eyes. "My class has to do something on current affairs and I wanted to do mine on him." The blond fished around for the smallest detail that could prove he had been doing his research. "His three day game, that's what really got me interested. I mean, does he play it with everyone, or just the important targets? Like art collectors?"

"Your guess is as good as mine on that. But are you sure you want to do your project on him?" She appeared confused, with good reason. "He's certainly no idol for a middle school student. He's more the type you want to lock up and then conveniently lose the key to … maybe even throw him off the side of a cliff while you're at it," Reiko was resolute in wording. The effect was lost not a moment later by stray locks of black hair tumbling out of her haphazard ponytail. It appeared she hadn't gotten a chance to get ready for work yet – well, if her bath robe and tired expression were anything to go by. How she could still manage a real, honest smile, Hiro couldn't for the life of him figure that one out. "I don't think you should be concerning yourself with him, Hiro-chan, it's just not worth it."

While he was disappointed in the answer, he hadn't given up. "Well, it's just a project," he insisted, smiling the best smile he could, "and with the crime rate increasing drastically like it is, I figured why not choose a thief to demonstrate the incline?" His brain was thoroughly exhausted with this conversation and it wasn't _really_ even school related. The headache from yesterday felt like it was about to hit him full force again. _This is important, though. Emiko … and me too … we might be in trouble. _Not to mention he couldn't get over the absence of the choker. It just felt weird without it. "This might be a little bold," Hiro admitted sheepishly, "but if you're reporting on him tonight, could I tag along?" Before she could object, he added, "I want to see a live reporter in action, that's all, I swear. It would help out my angle for the project. Maybe give me an idea or two."

At first it looked as if Reiko would refuse, but after a sigh and a jerky nod of her head she finally relented, "Fine, but only because it's Hiro-chan asking."

The blond allowed a more genuine, if smaller, smile to show through. "Thank you. You won't regret it."

"I would think not," she smiled back, regardless of her own thoughts on the matter. "Let's not tell Dai-chan, though. He's a little protective of you."

_So even Yoshida-san has noticed?_ His smile faltered a bit. "Yeah. So where are you reporting from tonight?"

"Mm, downtown." She grimaced. "Not a good place for kids, so we're definitely not telling Dai-chan, but I'll let your parents know. I don't want them to worry. Are you familiar with that old diner that's become popular with the students lately?" Hiro nodded, having heard the tales and rumors of the 'heavenly food' they now served. "Well, that's where we're broadcasting live from tonight. We're running an interview there, with the employees. The manager set it all up. Apparently the diner is in the district where the most frequent Kano sightings have occurred. We're looking into it," she explained with a distracted lilt to her voice.

Hiro didn't ask what was on her mind, careful not to pry _too _much in case he didn't like the answer. "What time should I be there?" he questioned instead, propping both elbows up on the table this time to support his chin as he relaxed.

The dark haired woman considered that, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Best to get there early if you're going to come. But … don't you have practice today?"

While she knew about his archery, she wasn't familiar with his schedule. He offered a half-hearted smile and shake of his head. "Not today. Daichi and I usually hang out on days like this, but I think he has a date with Yuko-san so ..." Hiro laughed humorlessly. "I have nothing planned. I'll make sure I'm on time, promise."

"Ah." Reiko made a face that didn't quite suit her personality at all, annoyance plain as the eye could see. "That girl again, huh? Don't know what he sees in her." Hiro would have agreed, saying a very heart-felt _me either_, but the older Yoshida didn't give him a chance to speak. "Well, since it isn't a problem of time …" She paused, thinking it over once more. "How about five thirty? We don't start until six anyway."

"Perfect," Hiro replied easily. He stopped short of saying anything else as a boisterous, "I'm home!" signaled his friend was back. That was the end of that, fishing more information would have to wait.

It didn't take long for Daichi to amble into the kitchen, spiky hair askew and sweat dripping down into his favorite dark blue hoodie. Hiro noted absently his friend was heading towards the refrigerator and stood, sneaking up behind him and giving him a good kick to the rear when he bent over, much to the flat-out amusement of Yoshida Reiko. The taller of the two boys retracted into a rigid stance, glancing warily over his shoulder. "Good morning to you too, grumpy."

The blond offered him a glare. "That was for waking me up so early." Having said his peace, he turned back to the still snickering Reiko and suggested, "If you want to go get ready for work, I would be more than happy to watch breakfast for you, Yoshida-san." He had already taken into account that the food was almost finished. It wouldn't be too hard to handle. Or so he hoped. Moving out of Daichi's way as his friend closed the refrigerator door, Hiro continued with, "Because this idiot might burn it and, well, he needs a shower." He covered his nose, waving a hand for show. "He stinks."

Daichi stuck out his tongue and then took a swig from the water he had just retrieved from the refrigerator. "I'm going, I'm going. Hey, don't forget to wake up Emiko-chan," he reminded as he started out of the kitchen, his mother following behind him with a bit of relief showing through, no doubt thinking _maybe I _won't_ be late_. "She's a heavy sleeper," Daichi went on as he stretched out stiffening limbs, "didn't expect that. Tried to wake her up, but … that didn't work too well."

"Yeah. That's just how she is." Having lived his entire life under the same roof as his sister, Hiro had come to expect many things when it came to her. He would just have to wait and wake her up when breakfast was ready. If not, there surely would be hell to pay. It made him wonder, not for the first time, why she wanted to be a nurse-in-training so badly. "Go on, I'll worry about Emiko later." Both mother and son gave him a sympathetic smile before leaving, familiar with Emiko's temper through first-hand experience. Hiro wasn't worried about that too much, though. Instead, he eyed the still cooking food with growing trepidation. Why had he thought this was a good idea again?

- XI -

"And you scolded _me_ about burning breakfast?" teased Daichi at lunchtime. He passed over the bento he had bought for his friend. It was payment for the past two lunches he had stolen. It worked out that way a lot. Daichi taking two, paying for one, and then repeating the process over and over again until it had by now become more of a tradition than anything else. Being what it was, Hiro accepted the food wordlessly and went straight to eating after a mumbled out, "_Itadakimasu_." "Oi, what's with the silent treatment? No harm, no foul, Hiro. It wasn't too bad, you know? Mom even complimented how thoughtful you were about it! Even if you could use some work in the kitchen, that's still an accomplishment, right?"

Easing up on the teasing, Daichi turned his attention to his own lunch, albeit preoccupied by something. It wasn't until Daichi swallowed and spoke again that Hiro realized he could have done without knowing what that something had been. "You had better start learning to cook with Emiko-chan, though," the dark haired boy advised cheerfully. "After all," the blond stiffened, chanting in his mind _must not kill best friend, must not kill best friend_, "don't you have to impress Nakamura?"

While Daichi rolled with laughter, Hiro fought back a blush and glared at the bento in his lap like _it_ had been the one to embarrass him. "Knock it off, Daichi! That's still not funny." The blond shook his head and decided he never, _ever_ - even under penalty of death - wanted to know how his friend's mind worked. "You know that I like Katsumi-chan! She's the only one I like," he declared stubbornly, aiming a glower at his friend and daring him to challenge that.

"Haha, but your face was priceless when I said it. Come on, you didn't expect me _not_ to get even with you after you literally kicked me in the ass this morning, did you?"

Hiro would admit his friend had him there. "Whatever, just keep your perverted comments to yourself." That didn't mean he had to _like_ the method of revenge. He kind of missed the syrup mishap after that one. "Oh hey, almost forgot," the blond purposely diverted the conversation, "since you're walking Yuko-san home, does that mean no dropping by that new arcade tonight?"

"Whaaat?" Daichi tilted his head to the side, chopsticks poised over his bento box. "Who said anything about bailing on the plan? We'll meet there later, of course!"

As pleased as Hiro was to hear that, he also knew his own plans for the night would be ruined if he didn't think fast. "Well, the arcade closes at seven, idiot. I figured you would treat Yuko-san to dinner, so …" he trailed off, letting his friend fill in the blanks.

"Ah. That, well …" Daichi scratched his cheek, slipping into the typical 'I'm thinking, this could take a while' frame of mind. The blond watched, holding back a laugh, and waited for what his friend would come up with this time. "I could always treat her to dinner some other night, I guess. Since we already have plans and all."

Hiro mentioned off-handedly, "Yeah, maybe, but she'll be expecting your attention on _her_ tonight. Don't worry about it. I'm not going to get mad if we change the game plan, Dai, I'm not your girlfriend after all," he joked with the smallest of grins. "It's not like we can't go tomorrow or something. It's a half-day too, so you know what that means." The grin broadened. "I get off early from practice! So let's go then. If you don't mind hanging around and waiting for me." The blond stopped, remembering something that could mess that idea up. "But I heard the judo club was going out soon to celebrate their advancement to the Prefectural. That's not tomorrow, is it?"

The way Daichi was frowning, it was obvious it _was_ tomorrow. "It won't work, Hiro, it's no good. Not unless you want to hang out with the judo club all afternoon."

Not seeing a problem with that, Hiro jumped at the chance. "Sure! I'll get to meet your friends from club properly for once." Well, he did see a _few_ problems with that, most of them concerning certain rumors, but he had other things to worry about, more important things. Like figuring out what a thief, a letter, and a missing choker all had in common. There had to be _something _he was missing. "So let's just do that. You guys can come see the archery club as well then, maybe even cheer us on for next week's tournament." It was only the District Competition, but it wouldn't hurt to get some inter-school support. Not to mention, quite a few guys had a crush on their lead star, Honda Yumiko, and it wasn't as if they _wouldn't_ be willing to come watch her shoot some targets.

His friend made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat and went back to eating. At first Hiro assumed he had won and that was the end of that. An easy win, too, which was unlike Daichi. It wasn't until his friend spoke up again that he realized he was wrong to even think that. "Let's not and say we did, okay?"

"Huh?" Glancing uneasily at his friend, Hiro set his chopsticks down and placed the bento aside, scooting closer to Daichi. His friend didn't _look_ sick, but Hiro pressed a firm hand against the other's forehead anyway to check his temperature. "Guess you're not sick, so what's wrong?"

"Nah, it's nothing."

Come to think of it, Hiro couldn't remember a time where his friend _had _stopped by the archery field just to watch. There had been occasions where Daichi came to talk to him during club, but he never stayed for too long. Even if judo usually let out earlier than archery, he was always gone before anyone could notice. _But why?_ "I'll believe it's nothing when you stop acting like an idiot."

Daichi opened his mouth, ready to retort, but his response was drowned out by a loud, "Oi, Yoshida!" from the doorway. Both boys turned to see who was calling out. While Daichi frowned, Hiro just cocked his head to the side with curiosity. It wasn't someone he knew, which seemed to be happening a lot lately, but there was a sense familiarity that even he couldn't shake. "Who are you?"

"Sasagawa Minori," Daichi ground out before their guest could. The two classmates swapped equally annoyed looks before begrudgingly smiling at one another. "What is it?" The dark haired boy began to stand in case he was needed somewhere. "Is it important? I'm kind of in the middle of lunch. So if it can wait …"

"It's nothing like that, no need to worry," the girl told him in an upbeat sort of way. "I just wanted to know why you didn't invite me to lunch today, Yoshida. After I _told _you -"

"It's because you told me that I didn't invite you!"

"Well, then you should have been more clear and told me properly," she responded stiffly, using the same tone he dared to use with her.

"I did, you just ignored me!"

"I did no such thing!"

Hiro couldn't keep up with the argument. He didn't even understand it. Tuning the two of them out, he took the time to study the girl instead, still trying to figure out where he knew her from. Despite her masculine way of speaking and her short hair, she was definitely a _girl_, as proven by her uniform and bust-line, but there was something about her that reminded him more of a guy. Maybe it was the way she styled her hair, the white locks spiked up in all directions like that. She didn't look like Daichi, though. Wherein his hair was always disorderly and hastily done, her style was quite the opposite, as in each spike was individually fixed to perfection. His friend sorely lacked the patience for that.

"_Right, Hiro_?!" The blond was thrown by the fact it was said by not one, but _two_ voices.

He replied with a clever, "Do what now?"

"She says you know her!"

"He says you don't know me!"

"Explain it to this - this idiot that I'm_ right_!" they shouted together, forming a loud harmony as their two voices blended into one. They continued to increase the volume as the argument heated up, causing Hiro to finally decide enough was enough. Doing what he was best at, he interrupted them before any unwanted attention could be drawn.

"This is a problem between the two of you," he tried to reason over the noise. "Shouldn't you try to find a solution that doesn't involve others?"

"No, that's not it, Hiro! You've got it wrong," Daichi protested with flailing arms, "this has everything to do with _you_!"

"Oi, shut up! I should be the one explaining," Minori injected as she stepped closer. "He is _my_ adorable cousin, so back off already!"

_Cousin?_ Hiro thought to himself in shock. He should have questioned that, but he was distracted by Daichi stepping defensively in front of him, blocking his view of the girl. "… What are you doing, Daichi?"

"This girl is certifiably insane! Should I … you know, get rid of her?"

Hiro wasn't sure what bothered him more, his friend asking him that in a heavily empathic manner or the strange girl who claimed to be his cousin. Then again, if she _was_ his cousin that explained a lot. _Sasagawa_, he recalled the name vaguely, _isn't that mom's maiden name?_ Thinking of his mother led to him realizing with a start, "Ryohei-occhan. That's who you remind me of." The white-blond spikes, the mischievous glint in those pale gray eyes, it was all so overwhelmingly familiar and now he knew why.

The young girl stepped around Daichi's protective stance with a cheery, "Yup, that's my dad all right." She crouched down to meet Hiro eye for eye. "Do you know where he is?"

"Uh …" That was a weird question to ask. "Don't you know that already?"

Minori was forced to back up as Daichi stepped in between them again. "That's what I've been trying to say," the dark haired boy persisted, "she's obviously lying! Since when do you have a cousin like _her_?"

Hiro nearly lost his cool. Since when was it okay to talk to someone's cousin like that? The protectiveness had to end _somewhere_. He made to stand and start up an argument of his own this time, but Minori beat him to it by grabbing the taller boy's collar and forcing him unnervingly close to her body.

"Since now," she growled. "Look, you dimwit, this might be hard for you to understand, but Hiro is my cousin. My _cousin_," she said slowly, as if speaking to a very small child, "and it's important that I talk to him and I _will_ talk to him. Whether you're here or not!" Hiro didn't like the way she said that, mainly because her eyes darted from the rooftop ledge and back, an underlying threat there. "To make it easier for you to understand," she continued on, surprisingly controlling herself and reigning in her temper, "I'll try to put it like this: I've been living with my mother, not my father, since I was four. I grew up in Hokkaido and I moved _here_," she let one hand go and waved it carelessly around to indicate the here, "to Namimori so I could see my dad again."

"That makes sense," Hiro spoke up before Daichi could. He had given up on staying still and had finally stood, pushing his friend to the side to face the girl head on. "Ryohei-occhan and Hana-obasan separated when I was really little, I don't remember much from that time." He glanced at Daichi and explained for his benefit, "This all happened before we met in that park, idiot." Though he probably could have said it without adding the insult.

Regardless, his friend let up on the issue and concentrated on prying off the girl's surprisingly strong grip. "Okay. Let's just say she _is_ your cousin," the disbelieving boy muttered, "how come you two don't even know each other?"

"Hana-obasan didn't leave on … very good terms with Ryohei-occhan," Hiro rationalized uncomfortably, beginning to rub at the back of his neck. This wasn't a topic he really wanted to discuss with anyone. "That's what mom told us, anyway. They were divorced before I even set foot in elementary school."

"Yup, sounds about right. Mom's not a big dad fan," Minori agreed, lifting one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. Then, realizing she was still holding onto Daichi, she let go of his uniform entirely. "She says dad's useless, pathetic, good for nothing, a waste of space -"

Hiro was fairly sure she would have continued down a long, long list, but he chose that moment to cut in with, "Yeah, we get the picture." With views like that swaying her opinion, Hiro was a bit puzzled as to why she was even looking for her father. According to his mom, Kurokawa Hana had a high-paying job within the government and her lifestyle was worth envying. Why would Minori leave all that behind to come _here_, to the remote town of Namimori? "I can't tell you where he is," the disappointed look on her face was enough to have him apologizing, "I'm sorry, I just don't know. Ryohei-occhan's always busy and away on business." _Come to think of it, I don't know what he does either. Is everyone I know not who I think they are?_ Her entire expression had become crestfallen, forcing even Daichi to feel bad for her. The blond tried to recall anything that could possibly help, and a split second later blurted out, "But I do know someone who could help you find him."

The white-haired girl perked up immediately, eyes bright and energy bursting out of her in waves. She rocked back and forth on her heels to expend some of her excitability and teetered dangerously close to the still uneasy Daichi. "Who? Who? Lucky!" There was no calming her down now, but Hiro had a good idea what might.

"You'll have to go to Take-Sushi. Ask for Yamamoto Takeshi. He knows _a_ _lot_ about Ryohei-occhan, trust me."

Brimming with anticipation, it looked like Minori might bolt any second. "Thank you so much, Hiro! I'll definitely pay you back for this! Nya, lucky!" It wasn't until she was gone that he realized he hadn't objected to her calling him Hiro, not once. Maybe it was that weird intuition thing again trying to tell him in its own way that she was someone to be trusted. He couldn't say for sure, but that felt right somehow.

"… I still don't like her."

Biting back a smile, Hiro responded to his friend with a light-hearted, "Sure you don't."

- XI -

"And _then_ you know what he did?"

Hiro didn't, nor did he want to, but Emiko was going to tell him whether he liked it or not, so he figured why fight it. "I don't. What did he do?" He kept his tone neutral and politely interested, but his mind was elsewhere as they made their home – to their temporary home, at least.

"He invited that weirdo over, you know the one! With those freaky eyes. That … that Vanilla-kun or whatever."

His sister had never been good names, but at the mention of 'weirdo' he was certain he knew who she was talking about and _now_ he was interested. "You mean, Nico-kun?" From someone he couldn't remember too well, he had heard the boy called 'Vancillo' and that left him confident it was _that person._ "Did he do something to you?" He stopped walking and opted to stare worriedly at his sister. "If he did _anything_ to you, I'll report it," he promised, dead serious, "that boy isn't right in the head and I don't trust him any farther than I can throw him."

Emiko kept walking until she was a few steps ahead and then stopped as well. "Nothing like that." She threw him a glance over her shoulder, studying his expression. For what, he didn't know, but apparently she found what she was looking for because next he knew she was scoffing and shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. He was just … really …" The word she was searching for didn't seem to do it justice. "Friendly?"

It was an innocent way to put something he suspected had happened, but he didn't call her on it. "You should have eaten lunch with me," Hiro scolded, "Daichi scared him off the other day. Why didn't you come up to the roof?"

"You know why. I'm _still_ washing that damn syrup out of my hair, Hiro. It was nice to have lunch with Hitomi, anyway," she defended, crossing her arms and no doubt pouting. "It was nice to have a girls' only lunch for a change. … Until those stupid boys showed up!" They started walking again, at a more subdued pace, and Emiko was more than willing to continue on with her tangent about _boys_ and how they ruined _everything_.

He listened with half an ear again, nodding and 'mhm'ing when it seemed appropriate. They were only a block away from their destination when Emiko got fed up with talking to a bobble-head version of her brother and drawled out a purposeful, "Are you even listening, nii-san?"

"Hm?" Suitably distracted, he gave his attention back to Emiko. "That's a funny question, of course I'm listening."

It was Emiko's turn to 'mhm' before passing over a wrapped package taken from her satchel. "Here, this is what I was talking about. Mitsu-kun gave me chocolates, but you know I can't have them."

_True enough_, Hiro thought. His sister drew the line at ice cream when it came to sweets. Most girls tended to avoid them to lose weight, but not Emiko, her reason was different than that. She wasn't _like_ normal kids her age. She had to watch her blood sugar levels with a regularity that defied reason. It had always been that way, ever since she had been diagnosed with type-one diabetes at the age of four. A lot of things had changed after that. Sure, it was easy to control through day to day insulin injects, but she had to do her part through diet and exercise as well. Despite knowing every thing there was to know about what plagued his little sister, it still didn't make it any less scary to Hiroyuki. The severity of the disease was not something he wanted to ignore.

"Nii-san. You're not listenin' again! Do you want the chocolates or not?"

Before she could change her mind, he snatched them up. "Thanks." He would save them for lunch tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, share them with Daichi - if the idiot didn't find them before then. He made a mental note to pick a good hiding spot. His friend had a sweet tooth a mile long and radar with even wider range when it came to candy. "Any plans for tonight?" he asked conversationally, stowing the gift away. "I'm going downtown to meet Yoshida-san for a report she's doing, do you want to come?" His sister could defend herself _and_ she wouldn't go blabbing to Daichi, so he didn't see what the harm was in asking. Plus, he wanted someone he could talk to about what he found. Why not his sister, who was in the same boat as him? The threat behind that letter wasn't going to go away by itself; it was up to them to do something about it.

"Why are you doing that?" Emiko looked at him strangely, like he had suddenly grown another head, or three. "You're not still thinking about that Kankun guy, are you?"

Let it never be said his sister wasn't astute enough to work her way out of a paper bag. She could do that and _so much more_. "It's Kano, not Kankun, and yeah. Aren't you?" They fell silent as their walk home came to an end. No one made a sound. Only the wind as it sang its autumn lullaby for the dancing leaves was allowed to break that peace. Or at least that was until, "Anyway, I should get changed before I head out. You coming or not?"

A dark expression shadowed her face, but Emiko looked away before he could call her on it. "Fine, whatever. Let's go see how a real reporter reports on reportable stuff …"

He laughed and held the door open for her. "Ladies first."

"… You're such a suck-up."

A slight grin, one that said 'thank you', was the only answer to that. "I'm not allowed to be nice?"

"Che," she shook her head, "you being nice is normal. But when you try to be polite, you're so _fake_."

"I resent that!"

"And I resent being related to you, so we're even." They bickered up until the point where they had to separate to change out of their uniforms, spare clothes in opposite directions. After agreeing they'd meet outside when they were ready, they parted ways and tugged on more fitting clothing for their excursion, each preparing in their own way. Hiro made sure to bring a notebook, of course, while Emiko made sure to grab something sharp and pointy. Then, after doubling checking everything, they were ready to go.

- XI -

"Oh, Emiko-chan too, what a surprise!" Reiko sounded delighted at the extra company. "They need us to run a sound check before we go live, so I'll be with you kids in a second, okay?" She offered the Sawada siblings a warm smile and walked over to cameraman who had been desperately trying to get her attention. They heard a bit of yelling and "are you an idiot?", but Reiko seemed to take it in stride, still smiling.

"She's really pretty," Emiko commented off-handedly, admiring the elegant bun done up for the occasion. She vaguely considered having Reiko teach her how to do that, but cast that thought aside. Elegant wasn't her style. "I wonder why lover boy Yoshida looks more like the wrong end of an emu than _that_."

"Are you trying to insult an emu? Just what part of him looks like that?"

"_The wrong end._"

Snickering, Hiro was happy to point out, "You must stare an awful lot at his 'wrong end' to notice that, huh?" And he said it with air quotes and everything.

"You took that the wrong way and you know it!" she roared. He dodged the leaping-flying-tackle thing she liked to use in instances like this and _kept_ dodging until the manager finally came over, apparently at wit's end, telling them to keep it down. The two teenagers sat down at one the diner's open tables in an effort to do just that. It was either behave or risk getting kicked out. Since they were here for a reason, they were good little children and sat down and played nice. Emiko, however, did not know the meaning behind the words 'play nice' and figured it was a good opportunity to glare at the manager's turned back, plotting the demise of yet another innocent soul. "Who does he think he is?"

"The _boss_," Hiro answered, exasperated. "Now keep it down and think. Why would Yoshida-san be interviewing the people here? Do you think they're on to something? Maybe one of the workers is …"

"Publicity," supplied Emiko. "It's all about publicity." But it wasn't only Hiro that studied the employees now, willing to see them in a new light - one that could hold the answers they sought. "Let's divide and conquer," she decided when things became too quiet for her liking. "I'll take half, you take half, and we figure out what they really know about the Phantom Thief."

The blond scoffed, wondering, "If they don't tell an _adult_, what makes you think they'll tell us?"

"Watch and learn, nii-san. Watch. And. Learn." Emiko stood back up and began to fix her mini-skirt over the black leggings she was wearing, readjusting her skinny tie as well before sauntering over to one of the employees.

Her brother slid down low in his seat, shaking his head. He had a good idea what his sister was up to and he did _not_ want to learn how to do that. Unfortunately, he was curious about whether it would work or not and followed after her, careful to keep his distance lest he scare off the employee turned victim.

"Ah, excuse me! I was wondering if you could help me," she was saying to a boy around their own age. Hiro would have guessed he was a patron if it wasn't for the white kitchen uniform and the lop-sided chef's hat atop his head. The kid looked harassed already, but her hounding of him seemed to make it somehow ten times worse. "You see, I don't know what to order. You work here, don't you? Could you tell me what's the best dish on the menu?" She coyly twisted a long lock of hair around a finger, smiling in such a way as to put the boy at ease. It didn't seem to work because her smile could be dead scary when it lacked sincerity.

The boy fiddled with his chef's hat, straightening it back up, and then breathed out a nervous, "I should be getting back to the kitchen."

That didn't dissuade Emiko's advances, already slinging an arm around the agitated boy's shoulders. "Don't worry. The place is closing up early, isn't it? I'll be your last customer of the day, so help me out here," her voice had gone low and sultry and Hiro was positive she was practicing some obscure form of torture because the boy in her grasp was now squirming uncomfortably.

"I really should get back to the kitchen," the boy repeated like a broken record.

Switching tactics, Emiko ground out, "Listen, punk, I got half a mind to tell the school board on you. You're what? My age? Well, only if you don't answer my questions." She tightened her constrictive hold on his shoulders when he squirmed again, trying to escape. To prove she wasn't letting up, she added, "Or I could always get you fired. Which do you prefer?"

"E-Eek, anything but my job!" The boy covered his face, shaking. "I'll tell you anything you want to know, please! Just follow me to the back."

Emiko tossed a wink to where her brother was hiding behind a booth and jerked a thumb to the back, mouthing 'this shouldn't take long'. Masking a wince, Hiro hoped for the kid's sake that an ambulance wouldn't be necessary.

- XI -

The broadcast was set to begin any minute now and the customers were ushered out by a group of employees who looked about ready to keel over from a bad case of stage-fright. And still there was no Emiko. Her brother fidgeted and stared at the kitchen door, then fidgeted some more. This process repeated itself again and again until finally a heavy hand fell onto his shoulder and he started, turning his head to see who was invading his personal space.

"You look troubled, kiddo. Something wrong?"

Hiro pulled away and offered a shaky smile. "Uh, no. I was just waiting around for my little sister." There was something about that playful smirk on the man's face that set him on edge. Maybe that was why he took an instinctive step back. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yeah, we kind of need everyone not any employee to leave," the man said dispassionately. There was slightest hint of exhaustion in his voice, clearly tired after a long day at work, but he still found the motivation to run a hand through his floppy, out of place rainbow colored hair in effort to keep his body busy and his mind awake. Hiro was under no uncertain impression that he looking at a rebel, one barely out of school, but that could have been him stereotyping because of the tattoos that ran up and down the man's arms, without any intention of being hidden.

The word _thug_ came to mind too, but Hiro pushed it aside. "Um, well, I-I'm with Yoshida Reiko-san. My sister is too, if you see her. Brown hair, looks kind of like me. We're here to see Yoshida-san in action."

"Yoshida-san, eh?" The guy ruffled his hair again until it was an assortment of messy colors and then folded his arms across his chest, bluish green eyes lighting up and his earlier smirk spreading into a full-blown taunt. "Well, in that case, let me treat our special guests to a fun game! What do you say, up for it?"

At the moment, no, Hiro was not 'up for it'. "But my sister …"

"Then just the two of us. See, I get real bored just sitting around … and this interview thing is going to take a while."

This guy was looking for someone to entertain him? Hiro wasn't about to oblige. "I'm here to watch Yoshida-san, not play games." The blond raised the forgotten notebook in his hand, tapping it with his pen. "I'm busy."

"Oh, what a studious kid you are," jeered the man, reaching out and snatching the notebook away. He flipped through the pages, looking interested, and then tossed it aside, suddenly not. "As great a note-taker as you seem to be," the man said sarcastically, "I'm sure you'd rather play a fun game, kiddo. I'll even make it worth your while." A pack of cards was pulled out from inside a white-styled uniform, similar to the one the kitchen boy had been wearing. "It's simple. Call this a special brand of Ikeda magic."

Hiro kept his wary gaze on the cards as they were shuffled, wondering what kind of game this was going to be. A card game, that seemed obvious, but what kind? He didn't know many, and the ones he did he failed spectacularly at. "I don't want to play. What part of that don't you understand?"

"Are you running away, kiddo?" the guy openly ridiculed. The shuffling stopped and the cards were fanned out, the suit side facing Hiro. "Pick a card, any card."

_He … wasn't kidding about the magic?_ The blond frowned and leaned forward, studying the cards with a critical eye to see if they were marked in such a way as to help the 'magician'. "Okay, fine, I'll play your game." Picking the two of hearts, he slid it out from the deck with still bandaged fingers and hid a small smile behind it. "I win and you leave me alone, deal?"

"All right," the guy, Ikeda something, winked. "And if I win, we keep playing."

"Your move," challenged Hiroyuki. "How do we play?"

Ikeda began to shuffle the cards again, going, "I'm glad you asked. See, I'm not going to just guess your card. That would be too easy, don't you think? Want to know what would be fun, though? If I did this." He had slowed in his shuffling and then suddenly all movement ceased, a card slipping in-between nimble fingers. The gangster looking guy held up a mimicking two of hearts and Hiro was forced to do a double-take at the one in his hands, only to come up short for a response when he noticed it was now a five of clubs.

"Wh – what?! But that's impossible!"

"Impossible?" Ikeda reeled back in shock and then laughed, leaning forward and winking once more. "So you say, but magic is a most wondrous thing." Hiro flinched as a hand came to rest behind his ear and pulled out something that definitely shouldn't have been in his hair in the first place. "With a little bit of magic, anything is possible." Seeming to enjoy himself, the man gave a bow and then held out a single red rose untangled moments ago from Hiroyuki's hair. "Here you go. For your lovely sister. Now let's go ahead and continue with our game, Hiroyuki-kun."

Hiro stood there with wide eyes and asked in a hesitant voice, "How did you know my name?"

"I hate to bother you boys when you look like you're having so much fun," Reiko chose that moment to interrupt. Hiro couldn't decide if he should be grateful or not. _How did that guy …? _"But I need to borrow Ikeda-kun here, Hiro-chan. I'll return him when I'm done," she promised, placing a gentle hand on the strange employee's shoulder and urging him onwards.

Before she could get too far away, Hiro told her with a bit of unease, "I think I'm going to leave. I don't feel so good." Disappointment mingled with her smile, but she waved him on, telling him to go get some rest. He wished he could have stayed, but his sister's disappearance was worrying him. Leaving the diner after saying goodbye, he looped around back and searched for another way in to the kitchen, banking on the fact they must have had a backdoor _somewhere_. He just needed to find his sister and then they could get out of here. That uneasy feeling was beginning to grow.

In the dim light of the street lamps, he located the door he was looking for and threw his shoulder against it in a vain attempt to get it to open. When that proved to be a huge failure of a solution, he pulled out his wallet and fiddled with his unused library card. He had seen Hayato use this trick once on a door similar to the one in front of him now, and it seemed the perfect time to put it into practice.

Shoving the slim end of the card into the crack between the door and its frame, he began to work it down and over the locked hatch, readying to open the door when it gave even an inch. He bit back a cry of surprise when it did just that, but not because he had done it. No, someone was opening the door from the _inside_. He stepped back from the door as fast as he could, but that didn't prevent the inevitable mess that followed. First came a shout of, "Hurry up, Karou-kun, throw that food out," and then silence as the boy tripped, fell, and landed on Hiro. As it usually did, gravity caught up with the two of them none-too-gently and they landed on the unforgiving blacktop with an _umf_ and an _ow_. Hiroyuki could have handled the whole back aching and eventual bruising, but it was the fact that he was now covered in day old food and soured milk that made him groan.

The other boy who had been saved by a particularly blond cushion scurried backwards with an, "Eep."

Hiro sat up once the weight on his chest was gone, breathing easier, and let his gaze sweep over the other with a disinterested eye. He froze when he noticed it was the same boy who had disappeared some time ago with his sister. "Hey, you. Wh -"

"Please don't hurt me!" The kitchen boy was shaking once again, hiding behind his arms, and Hiro let out a sigh that could have been taken in a lot of ways. "I swear it was an accident!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Hiro dismissed, standing up with a wince and beginning to brush off the grim accumulating on his clothes, "but that's not what I want to talk to you about. Kid, do you -"

"It won't happen again, I'll be more careful. _Please don't hurt me_." The shaking had at least stopped, but Hiro would have preferred it over what had taken its place. The wobbly, tear-filled eyes were chipping away at his resolve and that made it twice as hard to demand information. He would have to handle the situation delicately.

"I … don't know what your problem is, but it's … er, going to be okay," Hiro said awkwardly as he reached over and patted the boy on the head. He noticed the lack of chef's hat and figured that would need to be found soon, before the kid went back into the kitchen at least. "Want me to help you out here, so you don't have to get yelled at too much?"

The boy looked star-struck at the offer and could hardly manage out a complacent, "O-Okay." Two pairs of hands made faster worker and together they were able to scrape off the majority of the food that had flown onto them and the ground, putting it where it belonged in the dumpster. They had even located Karou's missing hat and Hiro being the one to find it had sat it victoriously atop the other's light blue hair. A soft "thank you" later and they were sitting in companionable silence outside the kitchen.

Taking a chance, Hiro went back to probing the boy for his sister's whereabouts, not forgetting what he had come back here to find out. "You … wouldn't happen to know where that brown-haired girl from earlier went, would you?"

Karou abruptly stood. "I-I don't know who you're talking about."

"Sure you do," Hiro carried on in a reassuring tone, "you were talking to her not too long ago. I saw you."

"I don't remember any girl, I have to go."

The blond made to pursue the other boy, but he ended up with a door slammed in his face for his trouble. A new sign had been put up outside the door, written in a familiar, showy style. _Employees Only, huh? Kano, you can run, but you can't hide._ Hiro balled his hands into fists, nails biting into skin hard enough to draw blood if he let them. _You took my sister, didn't you?_ It was no longer 'just a joke' and he had fallen right into a trap. _Why? _He thought to himself in frustration. _Why are _we_ being targeted?_

His troubled mind was reflected back to him through the sky, a deep, foreboding gray as clouds rolled in for an impending storm. Hiroyuki was left to walk home alone, heart burning with an anger he hadn't known he could possess. _That man will pay._


	5. All the Wrong Moves

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Warnings: **… I think this is the longest chapter I've written so far, so … yeah, enough said. Also. Fair warning! There's a bit of Yamamoto being molested by another guy towards the end. ;; Nothing explicit, just some … out-of-sight molestation.

**Author's Note: **Given the length of the chapters so far, I was iffy about replying to reviews here, but … here goes nothing.

**dotYui **– I'm not offended at all, no worries. I'm fairly laid-back when it comes to pairings and relationships in general. If anything, I thought it would be kind of fun to drop hints of all the possibilities, given that you're right. Amano seems to have a lot of undertones going on, unintentionally or not, and I thought … why not do the same? Not that I have any … real couples in mind, besides the older ones. I'm a shounen-ai fan, so I'm not against guys liking guys. Hell, I'm not even against girls liking girls for that matter. You'll probably see more of that as the story goes on, haha. But romance is definitely not my main focus. But like life, it does play its part.

Thank you for the reviews, they made my day. I've been struggling through this chapter for the past week and I just hope it turned out to your expectations.

* * *

**  
Warning Five: All the Wrong Moves**

_Screeching tires spun on blacktop as a car horn went off somewhere in the distance. There was a loud bang, followed by a scream._

"_Ni …" _

"_Oh god, someone call the hospital. A child's just been hit by a car!"_

"_Ni … Ni …"_

"_No!"_

Hiro woke up with a start, crying out, and then struggled to calm down. His cheeks felt wet and he wiped at them hurriedly in embarrassment, hands shaking. _What was that?_ He tried to remember the dream, but it wasn't working. It could have been a fraction in its bafflement, one part amazing and two parts frustrating because one minute it was there, clear as day, and then the next it was gone, as if it had been nothing more than smoke in the wind.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

He turned away from the source of the voice, still rubbing at his cheeks.

"Nightmare?" asked Daichi quietly. There was a rustling of covers and Hiro didn't doubt his friend was sitting up now, giving him that look he was so good at giving. "Want to talk about it?"

"No," the blond put it bluntly, burying his face in a pillow. With a great deal of consternation, he attempted to go back to sleep. "You should be resting, idiot. You have a test in the morning." He didn't like the choked up quality lodged in his throat and vowed to keep quiet. There was nothing left to say, not after telling everyone of his sister's disappearance. What else could they expect from him? He couldn't _magically_ make her reappear. _Like there's any real magic in the world,_ Hiro chided himself. He thought over the day's events and decided that no, there was no such thing as magic, only suckers who couldn't see through to the other hand. _And I fell for it._

"Listen, Hiro, she's going to be okay. What's the worst that could happen? You know Emiko. She'll fight back and …"

"Save it," mumbled Hiro tiredly. "We're just kids. What can we do?"

"That's not the Hiro I know," came the soft reply, "the Hiro I know wouldn't give up. That's why you went downtown, wasn't it? Mom … told me about it."

"Yeah, well. You see how brilliant that was," the blond bit back coldly. He was mad at himself and lashed out without meaning to. "I'm sorry, Daichi, just … drop it." It was unclear if his friend had listened or not because a clap of thunder shut out all other noise, shaking the house down to the foundation as the storm raged on outside with a vengeance. Then it died down and there was a breath-taking stillness, drowned out only by the rain and then an electric _crack_ as lightning struck somewhere close by. It must have been the transformer to the house, because when he chanced a look, the lights were already flickering. A few seconds later and the hallway's pale light was snuffed out, power lost.

That normally would have been fine, as it was nighttime already and they should have been _asleep_, but there was a noise coming from down the hall and it was not supposed to be there. It sounded suspiciously like a full-grown elephant trying to break down the front door, but to be more realistic it was more likely than not a branch beating against the house or rain changing over to hail. Boys being boys, they went to investigate anyway.

A lantern led the way, one engineered throughout the past decade with bioluminescence, and it didn't take long for them to reach the front door where the noise was originating from. After a decisive round of rock, paper, scissors, it was Hiro that typed in the key-code, unlocking the door. He pulled it open a split second later, a gust of wind blowing his hair back, but the rain was blocked, if only by the two figures using each other for support in the doorway.

Face paling, he stumbled forward and grasped the shorter figure by the shoulders. As if to prove to himself he was really seeing what he was seeing, he shook the person, breathless with relief. "E-Emiko?"

"About fucking _time_ someone opened the damn door!" She pushed her brother aside and barged straight into the house, but there was a slight limp to her step. "Don't just stand there like you're brain dead, Hitomi. Get in here and out of that rain!"

With a shudder the other girl did as she was told, looking tired and shaken and barely able to close the door. "T-The lightning … almost hit you, Sawada-sama. Shouldn't you have been more … scared?"

"'Course not, who do you take me for?" The brunette slid down the wall she was leaning against and Hiro finally noticed she was favoring her right side, a hand placed on a dark red stain near her stomach. Crouching down, he pried her hands away and pushed at her shirt to see what was causing the wound.

He relaxed when he noticed it was just a shallow gash, but that still left the question of, "What happened?" Recalling the not-Emiko from the other night, he faltered and then asked, "Are you really even Emiko?" He let the shirt fall back into place and moved to sit beside her, staring up at Hitomi. "And what about you? Are you _really_ Tomato-chan?" The dark haired girl flushed, a healthy glow coming back to her cheeks. "I need proof."

Daichi gave him a look that was somewhere between amusement and worry. "Who else would they be, Hiro?"

"Look, you dimwits, I've been dragged through a storm, nearly struck by lightning, _and_ I had to put up with a pervert that Hitomi nearly didn't save me from." Emiko shuddered. "And now you think I'm some imposter on top of all that?!"

"Pretty much," Hiro was honest at least. Still looking at Hitomi, he persisted, "Okay, tell me something only the real you would know. Like something from when we were little."

"W-What?" Hitomi managed to say, using the door behind her to keep from letting her shaky legs give out on her. Damp, slanted bangs were pushed out of her face, green eyes a fraction of an inch bigger than usual. "T-That's … um. All right." She tugged her jacket closer around her body, shivering. "There was this one trip to the beach when we were little. Y-You jumped off the end of the pier and Sawa – Emiko-sama tried to copy you, but the current pulled her under. It would have … taken too long for someone to notice, so I jumped in and brought her back to safety." Hitomi kept her head down, but the redness to her face was hard to hide. "J-Just like tonight," she admitted, embarrassed. Despite that, there was a hint of pride to her voice.

Accepting her as the real deal, Hiro turned to his sister, just as the sound of footsteps filled the air, parents waking up. With the noise they were making, he was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. "Your turn. What was the name of my teddy bear?"

Emiko stared at him, scowling. "You didn't have a stupid teddy bear, you never did. Haru-bachan made you this weird namahage toy and you would hug that thing to fucking death, even called it Nama-chan. Good enough for you?"

"What did she make you?" Hiro challenged as the footsteps grew louder, almost upon them.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "She made me an onibaba. Are we good now?"

Hiro smiled, satisfied they were the real deal, just as the three adults rounded the corner and froze at the unexpected sight. Kyoko was immediately at her daughter's side, not wasting another minute as she began a thorough check over, fighting back tears. With one word from Kyoko, Yoshida Reiko was off to find the first aid kit kept in storage, ready to help in any way she could. Tsuna, for his part, pulled Hitomi off to the side, starting up a hushed conversation with the young girl. Hiro would have listened in under normal circumstances, but as appealing as that would have been it was his sister who held his full attention. He assisted his mother in bandaging the gash and then moved on to apply the ice pack Reiko handed him for the swollen ankle his sister was trying to hide. In the end, in an attempt to make Emiko more comfortable, they moved her to couch for the night.

By the time everyone had settled down, it was a quarter past one and they were more than ready to sleep, exhaustion - as well as confusion - taking its toll. The late hour had Reiko persuading Hitomi to spend the night and the girl reluctantly accepted. It worked out to Hiro's advantage too, because now he could question the both of them in the morning. Crawling back into bed, the blond Sawada yawned and snuggled back into his covers, mumbling a sleepy, "Good night," to Daichi. His friend said something back, but it was too quiet to be heard over the continuous, pouring rain.

- XI -

"Wait, wait, _wait_. Start from the beginning." Hiro held up his hands to forestall any objection from his sister. "We're not going to understand anything if you don't."

Emiko frowned at the interruption, crossing her arms defiantly. "What part of 'I was kidnapped and manhandled by a pervert who I will soon chop into itty bitty pieces' did you not understand?"

"Uh, none of it?" supplied Daichi as he tilted his head in confusion. "Come on, start from the beginning already. We want _details_."

Ignoring his friend's blatant eyebrow wiggling, Hiro shrugged and said, "Maybe we should just have Tomato-chan explain." He turned towards the quiet girl with expectation. "How about it?"

It was rare to have her accompany them to school like this, but it was nice in a way. It reminded him of the days when there had been nothing but the four of them, goofing off and playing. Those days had been filled games that actually made sense. When had all that stopped?

"U-Um, well." Hitomi seemed unsure of how to answer for herself before taking a deep breath, calming down as a shuttered expression replaced the uncertainty. "It's not my place to say."

"Oh for the love of -" Rolling her eyes and grimacing, Emiko readjusted the bag that had just brushed against her injured side. "It's not like it's a goddamn secret or anything," the brunette reprimanded sharply. "Hell, it's not like I remember much of anything before you showed up, Hitomi. Someone snuck up behind me like a coward when I was talking to that stupid kitchen boy, got me good with some weird sedative thingy."

Hiro tensed up as his sister rambled on about the events of last night, not sure how to handle it. His mind was overflowing with questions and he didn't know where to begin. A hand settled on his shoulder, but unlike yesterday this one was welcome and comforting. The blond smiled his thanks to Daichi and motioned with his eyes to his sister who had gone off on another tangent about perverts and how they should go die very painful deaths. They shared a laugh and it felt like everything was right again. His sister was safe, feisty as ever, and it didn't seem likely the phantom thief would win if they kept their spirits up. They had to stick together, all of them. It was a matter of pride perhaps, but Hiro didn't want to lose.

"Sawada-sama." Hiroyuki was the one to look over, Emiko too absorbed in her own world where she was no doubt skewering a pervert in her mind with an evil laugh. "For all of our sakes, please forget about last night. Here, I found one the missing items." They had fallen into step beside each other, well behind the other two, careful not to draw any attention to themselves as a blue ribbon was passed over into Hiro's outstretched hand.

He curled a fist around it, grinning slightly. "Easier said than done, but thanks. Now … Emiko doesn't have to get involved in this any more." It was a relief to say that. There was no longer a reason for his sister to be a target. By default, she had won the game and now it was only him that had to worry. "Thanks," he said it again, reaching over to ruffle dark hair affectionately. "You really are something, Gokudera."

Hitomi flushed the darkest shade of red he had ever seen and stopped walking, bowing deep at the waist. "I-It should me thanking you, Sawada-sama!"

As confusing as that logic was, Hiro didn't argue with her. He kept his gaze trained ahead and locked his fingers behind his neck, the ribbon trailing after him. "Yeah, well, don't let it go to your head. You're always jumping in like that. Don't you think about how that makes others feel?" He cast a sidelong glance her way, quirking an eyebrow, but she did not respond to the prompting. With a sigh, he left her behind in order to break up the inevitable fight that had started between the two ahead of them.

- XI -

During class, Emiko found the perfect opportunity to catch up on the majority of sleep she had missed last night. Of course, her teacher didn't quite see it her way, but she was too tired to argue and she accepted the two weeks worth of detention gracefully. Graceful in this case meaning she fell right back asleep.

Unwillingly last night replayed in her mind's eye and within the confines of her subconscious there was a rainbow colored fish now, flopping around. That wouldn't have bothered her too much, given this was a dream and all, but then it started talking in a heavily accented voice she couldn't place. _Stay away from the river,_ it warned, and surprisingly there was no gasping from the fish without its water.

The dream world then tilted on an unseen axis to allow her a blurry glimpse of a fast-flowing river. She was the one left gasping at the sight of someone standing along the sloped edge of the riverbed. If that person was to fall, she held no doubt they would drown. The view within the dream switched again and this time she was looking at the familiar sight of Namimori Temple, the place where she had played as a child. Since it had been close to where she lived, she had played there a lot with Hitomi, her brother, and even Daichi. The temple here in her dreams seemed the same as always. Although there was a silhouette in the distance near the entrance and it appeared to be running at breakneck speed towards the river. The dream went hazy before she could make out who it was and all that she heard before she woke up was a cry of, "Vongola!"

Emiko blinked lazily to wake herself up, yawning behind a hand before taking in her real surroundings with a hint of confusion. _Ah, right, school._ She followed the hand on her desk up to the teacher attached to it; under the distinct impression the man in front of her had caused the abrupt reality check. "Did I miss something important, sensei?"

"Detention!" _Nothing new there_, she thought drowsily, heavy eyes dropping again. "For the rest of the month!"

Her eyes shot back open, resentment overriding sleep. "Is that really necessary, Takahashi-sensei?" The teacher fiddled nervously with a cuff attached to his suit and it was done in such a way that Emiko couldn't help but jokingly think, _Maybe he's mafia._

"If you would just _listen_ for once, Sawada-san, I wouldn't have to," the man lectured with a well-warranted exasperation. "You make me worry for the next generation."

Emiko wearily opened her textbook. "What page?"

"Sixty-four. Begin reading from the top. Out-loud."

She nodded and began reading. Modern Japanese was tolerable, but only because Takahashi wasn't nearly as strict as most of the other teachers were. If she had fallen asleep in English, for example, she probably would have been sent to the principal, given her track record and lack of respect in general for those older than her. After she finished the first two paragraphs the teacher cut her off with a "thank you, next" and the person to her left took over reading. She sat back down and cast her gaze out the window in an effort to stay awake. From the corner of her eyes, she had noticed the foreign exchange student watching her, but she was determined to ignore him - given the stunt he had pulled yesterday. She was definitely _not_ blushing as she recalled back to the light peck on her cheek. Stupid perverts were not worth her time.

As if by habit, she fiddled with the ribbon around her wrist for a distraction. Hiro had been the one to tie it there, but she knew Hitomi was the one responsible for its return. Last night had been a disaster, but at least they had gained a small victory in their own way. It didn't necessary mean they had the upper-hand, but that could be changed. Knowing her brother, he probably already had a plan in mind, just waiting to be realized.

"Emiko," the gently coaxed whisper had her scowling as she redirected her gaze back to the open textbook. "Is something bothering you?" She sent the exchange student a blank stare and then went back to pretending he didn't exist. "Ah, so there _is_ something bothering you."

"Shut up," she hissed, "it's none of her business!" So much for pretending he didn't exist. She settled for narrowing her eyes, glaring unseeingly ahead. "You're such a bother, you know that? Go get a life of your own, Vanilla."

There was a thump to her right that sounded more or less like a body part colliding with the underside of a desk and then a muffled laugh. The weird combination of noise had her glancing over and she stared in disbelief at the boy next to her who seemed to be fighting back laughter while biting at his knuckles. That wouldn't have been as weird as it was if the Italian boy didn't have tears in his eyes, his other hand rubbing stiffly at the knee residing under the desk. _Okay, he really is a nutcase …_

The whispering and slight commotion brought the teacher's attention back to Emiko's corner of the room. Takahashi's dark eyes darted to Nico first, resting there with an unreadable look, before switching to Emiko expectantly. "Is there something the two of you would like to share with the rest of the class?"

"No," Emiko's reply was immediate, but it was also accompanied by an unwanted, "Yes," from the boy she was starting to dislike more and more with every agonizing second that passed.

"Oh?" Takahashi leaned back against the chalkboard, completely at ease despite the silence that had befallen his class. "Then why don't you share?" There was a mocking twist of lips from their sensei, an almost smirk. It was the closest any of them had ever come to seeing him as arrogant.

"My classmate here seems to think I should get a life," the boy started with a shocking and uncalled for seriousness, "and she's of the opinion it should be vanilla-flavored." Then the dam broke because by now Nico had dissolved into a flood of giggles.

Emiko wasn't surprised, nor was she too thrilled, to find herself with a detention buddy after that. She was also unsure of what to make of her teacher assigning the exchange student an entire month worth of it. The harshness behind the punishment didn't fit. Hell, the back-talk hadn't even been _funny_, let alone worth that much time in detention. Nevertheless, she gave up on trying to understand the real motive behind it and let her head drop back onto the desk with a thump. She was warned with a "Pay attention, Sawada-san," and it was enough to stop her from falling back asleep all over again.

- XI -

When class finally ended and lunch began, Emiko was grateful. It meant she could get away from that creep next to her that was _still_ giggling occasionally like a lunatic. She shouldered her bag and made a beeline for the door with only one destination in mind: the roof, to hell with avoiding Daichi.

"Mind if I join you?" She didn't have to even turn her head to know it was the exchange student practically glued to her side. He was too close and that immediately equated to trouble for her. "I promise you won't even know I'm there."

While Emiko highly doubted that, she didn't out-right refuse either. "Do whatever the hell you want." Her pace quickened with the faint hope of losing him around the next corner. No such luck; he matched her step for step.

"Mm, you really are bothered by something today. What is it?" Nico's soft voice washed over her for a moment, easing her into a false sense of security. She knew it couldn't be trusted, that sense of security, and shrugged it off.

"You. That's what's bothering me," she ground out waspishly. "What's with you anyway? Go bother someone else!"

"But you're so much more fun to bother than 'someone else'," he retorted brightly, like it was meant to be a compliment.

Resisting the urge to scream in frustration, Emiko took it out on the door leading up to the rooftop, not bothering to wait for Nico. She bounded up the stairs, two at a time, never slowing once in her stride. The second door was similarly wrenched aside, the brown haired girl storming across the roof to lean precariously over the railing. "I hate this," she said without considering what she was saying or who she was saying it to. "I hate how fast life is just passing me by. I feel … helpless." _What the hell am I saying?_ She glanced over warningly to the smiling boy beside her, the exchange student willing to listen for some reason she couldn't fathom. "Don't you dare repeat this shit to any one, Vanilla, or I'll kick your ass."

He burst out into another fit of giggles, clutching at his sides with one hand and pointing at her with the other. "W-Why do you keep calling me Vanilla?" he somehow said around choked back laughs, grin so wide it almost looked painful. "Last I checked I was _Nico_. Or do you think I taste good or something?"

Glad they were alone, she turned and threw a punch. One that was easily caught by the person on the receiving end, much to her annoyance. The foreign boy "tsked" in apparent disappointment and that only riled her up more. Pivoting on the spot, she used a high kick, thanking every self-dense class she had ever taken. He let go of her fist and leapt back in time, a frown taking over his once happy visage. Emiko allowed a victorious smile to set its self onto her lips in retaliation as she continued, wanting to get rid of some stress and figuring a fight was the best way to go about it. It had been a few years since she had gotten into one while on school grounds, but she didn't see what it could hurt with the current mood she was in.

For his part, Nico indulged her. He had already known something was bothering her, but this proved him correct. She wouldn't be looking for an out if there wasn't something she was trying to avoid. Dodging the left uppercut she had aimed at his face, he lowered himself closer to the ground and swept out with a leg to knock her off balance. It worked, the girl losing her momentum long enough for Nico to seize an opportunity. He grabbed one of her arms and twisted it behind her back, forcing her to calm down. Breathing out and then heavily back in, she did, but it seemed reluctant even to him.

"Well, you're no fun," she bit out. "What am I supposed to do now? Stop? As if!" She struggled to get free, not yet realizing how useless it was.

The Italian gripped harder to prevent her from hurting herself. "I get it. You're upset about something, but I can't do anything to help you unless you explain first."

"Ha! You were doing just fine until you – you … let me go already!" Using her free arm, she jabbed an elbow back into his gut. The boy instinctively let go, wheezing slightly from the impact. They probably would have kept going like that for a while, bickering and fighting until something gave, but there was a reason she had come up to the roof and that reason made itself clear when a blond and his tag-along buddy entered the scene.

There was an unnerving silence, followed quickly by, "Uh, Emiko-chan, are you dating the foreign kid then?" She didn't really know what the taller of the newcomers was getting at until she looked over her shoulder, realizing belatedly she had dropped her bag a while ago during the skirmish. Nico was holding it out for her to take, smiling, and it appeared he was going to be a true gentleman for the sake of convenience. Unlike someone else she could mention, her eyes darting over to Daichi and narrowing.

"Fuck no!" She turned her back on them and snatched her bag away, jostling it just enough to spill out some of its contents.

Nico, keeping up the gentlemanly act, bent down to help her pick up the mess. Her fingers strayed over something sharp and she retracted her hands at once, staring with incredulity at the cause of her discomfort. Was that a rose wedged in her English textbook? Careful to avoid the thorns, she pulled it out and twirled it between her fingertips. Her brother was suddenly by her side, taking it away from her and throwing it over the railing as if it were a bomb about to go off. She blinked, stared down at her empty hand, and then directed a scowl at the blond flipping through her textbook with an unknown purpose in mind.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, making a grab for the book. He kept it out of her reach, mumbling to himself, and then finally let loose an "Aha!" as he found whatever he had been searching for. Emiko didn't know what to make of the playing card being waved in her face, but she was pretty sure it hadn't been there during class. "Yeah, so? What's with the two of hearts, nii-san? I don't get it."

"Kano! Kano's still targeting you! This doesn't make any sense," Hiro grumbled, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Last night … I ... I think I met Kano. We played this stupid game. The rose. The card. They were all part of that game." The blond balled his hands into fists to stop them from shaking, crumpling the card.

Someone made an 'hmm'ing sound that drew Hiro's attention. He fought back the strong urge to immediately turn and leave when he noticed who it was coming from. Yes, he had known Nico was there, but now the boy seemed intent on pursuing _conversation_ and Hiro wasn't in the mood to be polite. Settling for lowering his gaze, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the railing. It creaked, wavered, but inevitably held his weight. _Ugh, and I said all that … Daichi will understand, but Nico-kun, why did _he_ have to be here?_

"Oi, Vancillo, get lost." An arm looped companionably around Hiro's shoulders, forestalling his racing thoughts. "Can't you see when you're not wanted?" Nails began to dig into his arm and he was forced to pull away, wondering what had Daichi so worked up. When he noticed the still smirking Nico crossing his arms as if in challenge, he had a good idea as to what. It didn't appear the exchange student was willing to leave and that didn't bode well. Why couldn't the kid just take a hint for once?

Letting his best friend and the new kid argue it out, he sighed and successfully slipped away unnoticed. His sister had taken a seat a good distance away, knees up and face hidden behind her legs. Hiro sat down beside her and pulled her into a sideways hug, resting his chin atop her unruly brown hair. "I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, not even knowing why. It could have been for anything, from allowing her to get mixed up in this mess to for his own inability to fight back.

An apology wasn't going to cut it this time, though. They had to figure this out on their own and soon. "Look, I … I should have stayed last night, I should have found you." He clenched his eyes shut tight, breathing out angrily, mad at himself for running away. "It should have been me there, protecting you. What kind of big brother am I?"

Emiko bit down on her lip, shaking her head. "You're so stupid, nii-san. You think I'm upset because of that? Che, I can take care of myself!" She leaned against him tiredly, feeling warm and safe. If he hadn't laughed, she probably would have drifted off to sleep. "Hey, what's so funny!"

"You," he said affectionately, tugging at a long strand of hair with an amused upturn of lips. "My little sister's growing up. Why should I worry?"

"Damn straight." Emiko grinned, poking him in the chest. "So if I catch you worrying again, I'm gonna have to hit you."

"Oooh, that sounds horrible," Hiro mock grimaced, "now I'm scared."

"You should be!"

They swapped insults for a while, falling into an old routine that stopped the worrying. The conversation abruptly switched to last night half-way through their short lunch period, discussing what they knew about the Phantom Thief. Daichi and Nico were still bickering away like children, suitably distracted, and the Sawada duo took it as the greatest chance they would have to speak freely. It was the playing card falling from his lax grip that brought his interest back to it. He picked it back up, holding it between his forefinger and thumb. Despite the crinkled countenance of the card itself, he had noticed a bit of small writing in the corner under one of the twos. He smoothed it out and showed it to Emiko.

"Eh? It's too small to read. Who the _hell _writes that tiny?" The younger Sawada furrowed her brow, tracing a finger over the two hearts in the center. "Maybe it's a puzzle we have to solve?" she suggested, apprehension getting the better of her.

"Yeah, sure, one that makes no sense." Hiro frowned and brought the card up closer to his face, trying to make out the writing. "It's too late, though, isn't it? Even with this, today's the last day of the game. If we don't figure this out … I … we're … it's not going to end well."

"Tell me about it," Emiko sighed, rubbing at her temples. "I think I'll go break up the two idiots." She waved a hand flippantly in the direction of the 'idiots'. "You keep working on a plan. We need a plan." Whether her confidence in him was enough or not, only time would tell.

- XI -

"Kyaaaa, Nakamaru-buchou!" Hiro winced as a group of loud first years surrounded the archery club captain. It was mostly the younger girls that went for the stoic senior, but he distinctly saw a few boys mingled in with the rest of the growing crowd. Apparently something exciting had happened, what with the way they were carrying on. He faltered in drawing his bow as he caught wind of that something. "Is it true you're dating someone then?" _Ugh, what's the big deal?_ A smiling red-head appeared in his thoughts, unbidden, and he flushed, trying to get the image of Inoue Katsumi out of his head. _Okay, so maybe it_ is_ a big deal, but still._

"That's none of your business," drawled the captain, unrepentant. Darker than black eyes drifted towards the second and third years going through the eight essential movements in kyudo like good club members. Hiro hurried to start back over from _yugamae, _the setting of the bow. _It's not eavesdropping if everyone else hears too, is it?_ With his target in sight, he focused on that instead and lifted his bow, beginning to draw back the string. His concentration was broken again when a clipped voice drifted over, startling in its clarity. "I have someone I like, but that doesn't mean I am interested in dating or other such meaningless things." There were disappointed 'awww's and Hiro wondered why he was letting this get to him. _I guess knowing senpai has a heart in there somewhere is just … throwing me off my game._

Forcing himself to actually shoot this time, he went through the motions once more and then released the string. He cursed when the wind shifted, throwing his arrow off course. It hit one of the outer rings and he couldn't stop the slight pout that earned him a few snickers from his fellow club members. Ducking his head to hide a blush, he went about searching for another arrow, prepping for the next shot. His actions were stilled when a hand caught his wrist. Brown eyes flicked upwards, mouth opening to yell at the person, but the words were lodged in his throat. "Senpai," was all he could say. _Is this going to turn in a habit of his or what? Am I going to get yelled out again, this time for even practicing?_ The chaffing from the other day was nearly gone, leaving behind only a lingering redness. He had made sure to wrap his left hand to be on the safe side, for further protection, but he didn't know if that would be enough to appease his despondent captain.

"I've been trying to get your attention for a while," explained Michi blandly, letting go, "you seem to be in your own little world today, Sawada. Is there something troubling you?" At the confusion his words invoked, the captain continued, "It's affecting your stance and your spirit is wavering. It doesn't suit you."

"A-Ah." Hiro couldn't think of anything else to say. Why was it he could never speak when it mattered? He mentally slapped himself upside the head. "It's nothing you have to worry about. Please don't let it bother you."

Michi reached out and Hiro lifted an eyebrow, offering an uncertain smile. The hand faltered and drew back, falling limply to the older boy's side. "If it's nothing for me to worry about, then fine. But make sure the problem is resolved. We don't have time to waste waiting for you to get it together."

"I know," agreed the blond, looking down at his feet. "It's just … I … I don't know what to do any more."

"Hmm," Michi appeared to be thinking and thinking fast, an impassive expression giving way to a more considerate one that was rare to see. Hiro was certain he heard a few girls sigh dreamily and tilted his head, trying to catch a glimpse of what they saw that he didn't. It didn't work, but the young archer did flush an interesting shade of red when the captain caught him staring. Hastily, Hiro dropped his gaze again, chanting a mantra of _stupid, stupid, stupid_. He hoped Michi wouldn't call him on it. "Well, if things are that bad, take a breather, Sawada. I told you the other day: we need everyone in their best shape. You out of sorts like this is just going to cause a problem for the rest of us. Either let me help or get off my field."

Hiro shuffled his feet. "This is going to seem stupid, but maybe there is something you can do." He ran a hand through his hair, distracted, and then pointed to the clubhouse. "Let's go in there then. I have to show you what it is or else … well, you probably won't believe me." A curt nod from Michi had the two of them walking side by side in silence. _What am I doing?_ It had been on a whim, reaching out for help like that, but in all honesty he wanted to know what he thought this could accomplish. The older boy had given him an ultimatum, maybe he should have just walked away.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve," warned Michi, "you should really stop that. I can see through you like a wet t-shirt." The blond shrugged helplessly, holding open the door for his senpai. _Wait, did he just compare me to …? _"If you don't want my help, you should say it."

"But I -" _I don't want to refuse because it's _you. He admired his captain too much and he would regret it if he did and regret, he found, wasn't nearly as easy to cope with as letting someone have their way once in a while. "I just … I hope you're not going to think I'm paranoid," he finished dejectedly.

"Why would I think that?" Michi sat down on one of the benches, waiting for Hiro to find what he was looking for in his locker. "If it's bothering you that much, then there must be a reason. You don't strike me as an attention seeker, Sawada."

Hiroyuki was thankful his back was facing the archery captain. He couldn't stop a blush from blossoming on his cheeks. Daichi's words had chosen that moment to echo in his mind, as if they had always been there, and it was making all of this that much more embarrassing. _Damn that idiot and his stupid jokes!_ He fumbled with the letter and playing card and then handed them over wordlessly to Michi. The senior read the letter first, a crease forming along his brow, and then switched to the playing card, turning it over in hands.

"What does this card have to do with the letter? And is this letter serious? Are you being threatened?" The questions were cold, detached even. There was anger lurking behind those unresponsive eyes, but it wasn't meant for him. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Sawada. You just have to tell me what this is about."

_He really is a good captain, but why is he so worried? … Ah, right, the competition._ He explained everything from the beginning, leaving nothing out, and by the time he reached the end, Michi was already standing, slamming a hand against the locker he was leaning against. The noise rang in his ears, unparalleled, and it wasn't pleasant. "S-Senpai?"

"Dammit, Sawada, why did you let it get this bad?" He had never actually _seen _Michi lose his temper before, so this was a first for him, but wait – _what?_

"I-I don't understand. I didn't … I didn't _ask_ for this. It just happened." _What's he so upset about, anyway? It's not like he's the one being targeted by some freaky guy._ Another hand slammed down on the locker, cornering him in, and Hiro flinched away. _W-What's he doing?_

Michi must have realized what he was doing, too, because he retracted as if burned, looking away. "So this playing card, it has something to do with the thief, right?"

The blond gave a jerky nod and then realized that couldn't be seen and spoke up, "That's right. There's writing in the corner, but it's too small for me to read. Do you … I mean, that's what I wanted to ask … do you think you could help me with it?"

"Of course. I said I would, so I will." Hiro was taken aback behind the determination in the other boy's voice. It was hidden well, but it was still _there_ and that caught him off guard more than he cared to admit. "You, Sawada, are hopeless. Leave it to me."

- XI -

_I can't believe it. Nakamura-senpai's actually tagging along. I didn't mean he had to follow me everywhere! He got it wrong, wrong, wrong!_ Sawada Hiroyuki didn't know what to do. It was an improvement, sure. Michi's usual philosophy being 'I don't hang out with people outside of school'. Anything was an improvement over that. The guy needed to lighten up, have some fun, but – _Hiiiie, does he really have to sit so close? Daichi looks like he's going to kill him!_ The rest of the judo club just seemed amused by this, but Daichi, no. His response was the complete opposite.

If looks really could kill, Michi would be six feet under and pushing up daisies. "So … let me get this straight," Daichi was too nonchalant, voice deceptive and misleading. "I take you up on the whole 'oh, let's spend the day hanging out with the judo club' and you … you bring _him_ along?" Well, that certainly wasn't helping to dissuade any rumors about the two of them.

A couple of first years eyed Hiro with a suspicion that didn't seem right, like it was _his_ fault Daichi was acting like a jealous prick. But what was he supposed to do, tell Michi to leave? No, he wasn't going to do that. "Look, Daichi, I told you already. What you saw was an accident, plain and simple. You're such a – such an idiot!"

"You didn't see what happened through my eyes, so just who are you calling an idiot?" The dark haired judoka leaned forward, glaring across the table at Michi who was too close to his best friend for comfort. The captain even had the nerve to look smug about it, which was pissing him off. "He could have hurt you!"

"It would have been my fault too, then," argued Hiro. "I was the one who tripped him up. I'm a klutz, you know that. Use your brain for once. … Oh wait, I forgot. You don't have one!"

"Both of you. Shut up." It was the judo club's captain that interrupted them. It wouldn't have been necessary if the pair hadn't already attracted far too much attention from the other patrons, but now someone had to say _something_ or they would be kicked out. They hadn't even ordered yet, where was the justice in that? "Take it outside if you want to fight."

"Ahaha, what a lively bunch we have here," a cheerful voice greeted the group. "Hiro, long time, no see! Looking good! And Daichi, woah, need an antacid, sport? You don't look so good."

Daichi stopped glaring long enough to give his undivided attention to the person speaking. "Yamamoto-san!" A grin spread eagerly across the judoka's face. "Nah, s'all good. But maybe you can make Hiro see reason. He'll listen to you."

"Hm?" Takeshi's perceptive eyes caught sight of the bandaged fingers tucking a strand of blond hair behind an ear. "Hmm." The sushi chef shook his head, smiling. "I'm afraid that's not really my place, is it? That's your job as his friend."

"Hey, no fair, you didn't even hear me out." The dark haired judoka huffed, sinking down in his seat with a hollowed sort of resignation. Being ignored had never appealed to him, but he understood and obeyed.

"Anyway, what'll it be boys?" Takeshi continued where he left off, but in a more business-like manner. "We're running a special on spicy tuna today. Any takers?" Michi raised a hand, pointing to himself, but otherwise remained silent. "Ahaha, got it. Spicy tuna for the quiet one. Anyone else?"

"Takeshi-occhan," Hiro propped up an elbow on the table, frowning, "not to be rude, but why are you taking orders?"

"Ah well, we're a little short-handed." Hiro made to insist he could help out, but Takeshi cut him off, "That's a nice thought, Hiro, but don't worry about it. We've got it covered. We're training someone new and Ryohei's here, so I figure we can manage."

Eyes lighting up, Hiro asked in a rush, "Occhan's back already? Can I come over tonight then? Please? I haven't seen him in forever!"

"Of course," Takeshi agreed readily with a laugh, "the more the merrier."

"When did he get back?" Hiro wondered curiously.

"A few days ago, but we'll talk about that later, all right? We should let your friends order. Heh, they look about ready to eat the table." That was almost an understatement, considering more than a few stomach growled at the prospect of food.

- XI -

After enjoying the platters of sushi and sashimi to celebrate the judo club's advancement, the topic switched to the upcoming archery competition. _No pressure_, Hiro thought. _No pressure at all._ Michi was in a heated debate with the judo club's captain concerning the line-up and that left him to fend for himself. The rest of the club wanted answers and they wanted them fast. Questions ranged from "How's Yumiko-chan's form?" to "Are you _really_ competing this year?" He was only a one-dan, sure, and that was probably making them edgy, but that was only because his accuracy rate couldn't yet match up to a two-dan like Michi. He was determined to change that, but it would take time.

It was Daichi's question, "Are you in the running for captain next year then?" that piqued his interest the most. He couldn't help but answer that one almost unthinkingly with a, "I don't know, but that's probably for Takahashi-sensei to decide." Michi had paused mid-sentence to listen in, but the captain kept true to his impassive nature - neither acknowledging nor flat-out denying it. What that meant, Hiro figured he would find out later and switched the focus of conversation to something else. "But aren't you guys getting bored? Let's head over to the arcade and get some real competition going!" There were murmurs of agreement and they paid for their respective meals.

The arcade itself was brand new, the closest one to Namimori Middle as of now. It was built by one of the most famous gaming industries in the world too, the Big Bang Company. The popularity of the place had sky-rocketed the opening week and only increased over time. Hiro could see why. Wedged between the florist shop and Kitsune no Ame, the most well-liked ramen place around, the small building looked less than imposing - but the inside was a different matter entirely and that was what kept the kids coming back for more. The games were the latest and the arrangement was something other arcades would likely envy. The people working for the place were also friendly, willing to help whenever asked, and the place gave off the air of one well-cared for and appreciated.

A tug on his sleeve had Hiro focusing on his best friend, a grin taking over. "What should we do first?" This was their element, where they were most comfortable, and a challenge would only succeed in smoothing things over instead of winding them up.

The taller boy thought it over and then snapped his fingers in triumph, returning the grin. "Para Para?"

Hiro groaned, but nodded. He was willing to give it a try. Maybe the newer version wouldn't hurt his pride _too_ badly. "You always win at that. I'm starting to get the feeling you're a sore loser," he joked. "Why else would you choose something that requires rhythm? You know I have two left feet." He would have preferred one of the games that required accuracy, like a shooting game, but nope. Leave it Daichi to pick something more complicated.

"We'll play virtual darts next, okay?" Daichi suggested, rubbing at the back of his neck in a 'jeez, stop making me feel bad' kind of way. There was a victory smile from the blond as he stepped onto the para para machine, raising two fingers in the shape of a 'v'. The taller boy laughed and stepped onto the adjacent machine. "Don't get cocky. The first win is mine."

"Is that so?" challenged Hiro. "We'll see about that!" When the game ended, _loser_ flashed across the screen. Hiro hung his head, hiding an embarrassed flush. _Damn. And senpai's here too. Hope he didn't see that._

"Nice try, kouhai, you did your best," a calm voice encouraged.

The blond cringed and moved aside to allow the next person a turn. "Yeah, right. You're just being nice, Nakamura-senpai." Daichi had followed him and was already pulling him in the direction of the virtual reality games before he could object. Regardless, he waved for Michi to accompany them, wanting to include his captain the best he could. They took turns playing against each other and Hiro could have sworn he earned a laugh or two from the senior at some of the faces he made after losing, but that could have been his imagination playing tricks on him again.

By the time they had worked their way back to the para para machines, Hiro had worked up the courage to somehow challenge his captain to a dance off. It went better than his match against Daichi, no where near a crushing defeat like the first time, but he still lost. He made a face, one that predictably came across as more of a pout, and there was no mistaking it this time. Michi actually _laughed_. Hiro blinked a few times, bemused, and then turned to his best friend with a blatant 'help me out here' expression written all over his face.

The judoka shrugged. "I think Nakamura's making fun of you."

Hiro made to retort in kind, offering up a sarcastic _But weren't you just doing the same?_ He didn't get very far with that reply, as witty as it was. He was kind of busy gaping at the smile Michi was giving him. Apparently he liked making his senpai self-conscious, if the immediate blanking of the older boy's face was anything to go by.

"I don't see what he's laughing about, though," commented Daichi with underlying resentment. "Yeah, sure, he won, but only because you slipped up, Hiro." The three of them moved out of the way as a group of giggling girls took over the machines they were finished with.

"Are you mocking your senpai, Yoshida?" Michi was once more apathetic, his voice lacking the humility that had been there only seconds prior.

"So what if I am?" As a natural born fighter, Daichi wasn't prone to backing down once the stage was set. In moments like these, Hiro would end up comparing him to a tiger, one with its fangs bared, hackles raised, and with claws slowly being exposed. It was like looking at a different person. Gone was the popular guy people tended to idolize and respect. Instead, there was a predator, and he sensed encroachment on his turf. _Hiiie, I'm doing it again, thinking he's going to eat someone!_

"Then shouldn't you challenge me properly?" It didn't seem that Michi was going to give an inch either.

"Sure, if that's what you want." Hands were clasped together behind dark hair, Daichi's unusual smile sharpening for the occasion. "The stakes?"

"Loser leaves," the response quick, to the point. Michi didn't seem to like wasting his breath when it wasn't required.

"Deal. We'll para para for it."

Hiro rolled his eyes. The two of them were too caught up in a pissing contest to care what he had to say. He could see no reason to get involved knowing they wouldn't listen. They weren't exchanging punches or anything. What was there to be worried about? He glanced out the window to the arcade, bored, and his eyes caught sight of something that made him do a bit of a double-take. _Is that Emiko? What's she doing?_ Curious, he left his friend and captain alone to fend for themselves and headed out. He wanted to make sure his sister didn't get herself into any trouble if it _was_ her.

- XI -

"While your company is delightful, why are you following me?" Nico paused in the alley he had just turned into, hoping to catch the person tailing him off guard. He studied the girl's rigid posture and laughed. "Relax. Fu, I swear you Vongola are all the same. This isn't a trap, my apologies for disappointing."

"You're violating orders," the girl snapped, eyes hidden behind slanted bangs as she dipped her head, watching a needle roll along her fingertips with a practiced ease. "Sawa – Hiroyuki-sama would not appreciate knowing you were stalking him."

"You do me an injustice." Nico took a step closer. "Because really. Are we not … how do you say … two of a kind?"

At the proximity, the dark haired girl lashed out with the point of the needle, scratching his cheek in the process. It was enough to draw a thin line of blood. "I'm warning you now. Keep to your restrictions or I will not hesitate."

"Ah, so it's _you_ that's been assigned to make sure I'm a good little boy," mused the Italian thoughtfully, running a thumb over the cut and strangely choosing to grin in the face of her anger. "Interesting. You're Hitomi, aren't you? Spider Venom Hitomi?" He drew back his thumb and marveled at the sight of his own blood. She was good. He would love to fight her someday, to see her true abilities in action. Too bad they were supposed to be allies at the moment. "I guess that was poisoned then." Though, to call themselves allies was probably a long shot at best. There was no trust yet, only empty words.

"… Dad confiscated my supplies," Hitomi stated coolly. "He had a feeling I wouldn't hold back. But that doesn't matter to me. I'll just have to get _creative_. If you insist on breaching the contract you signed with Boss-san, that is."

"Not today. I was out for a walk. What, is that illegal in this country?" He laughed and then turned, walking further into the alley without a care in the world. If the sound of a light-footed gait behind him meant anything, she was no doubt following. "Times sure have changed. Since when does a harmless walk equate to stalking, hm?"

"Well, the definition of stalking is the act or process of stealthily following or trying to approach someone or something. It is a crime when a person is involved and that person does not appreciate the persistent, unwanted attention. You were actively following Hiroyuki-sama and I _know_ you wanted to approach him. Don't pretend like you didn't," the girl bit out coldly, lecture mode on, "and I do not accept you as a part of my _Famiglia_, so I will treat you like an outsider until you can prove your true allegiance."

"Now, now," rebuked Nico, "you're too hostile for your own good." He spun around to face her again at the sight of a dead-end, a hint of frown on his lips. He could have sworn this particular alley led to the street closest to Namimori Temple. Had the town changed that much in four years? "Tell me something, Hitomi. Do I offend you that much? Are you scared I will take them away from you? Those two precious people. I could do so much to hurt you without really hurting you, no? All I would have to do is -" His back slammed into the solid wall behind him, causing him to 'tsk'.

"Shut up!" There was a frantic look in her eyes, desperately searching for no ounce of truth in his words. "You shut up and stop talking about them. You know _nothing_."

"Are you sure?" He curled his hands around her upper arms and forced her back, quickly reversing their positions. "I hate in-fighting, so I won't start something I can't finish, Spider Hitomi, but let me tell you something you probably don't want to hear." Lowering his head to whisper in her ear, he made sure every syllable was crystal clear. "I know a lot more than you think." Then, letting go, he calmly walked away like nothing had happened, humming a tuneless hymn. "See you at home." A brown haired girl ducked into a shop as Nico passed by, but he paid her no mind, too caught up in his own thoughts.

- XI -

"Ah, I knew it. I thought that was you!"

Emiko nearly jumped out of her skin. She corrected this mistake by throwing a punch, which was avoided by the other person, but narrowly. Her temper dimmed as she realized who it was. "Oh, it's just you."

"Hey, wait a minute. What do you mean 'it's just you'?" Hiro mock frowned and then finally looked around the shop they were in, baffled. "Why exactly are we in a tattoo parlor?"

"E-Eh?" She cast a cursory glance over the place as well and then promptly copied her brother and father's trademark, "Hiiie!" They made a hasty departure before anyone could catch sight of them and ask unwanted questions. "Oh crap, I didn't think and I just … gah, I hope no one saw me!"

"What were you doing, Emiko?" Hiro tilted his head to the side. "Were you hiding from someone?"

"Er, sort of. I was going to go back to Yoshida's but then I saw Hitomi following that exchange student, so …" the younger Sawada trailed off, biting her lip. "Forget it, it's nothing."

Her brother shrugged and faced forward, watching where he was going before he tripped. "Did something happen? You don't sound too happy."

"Well …" Emiko wasn't sure how to put this. "They were talking about some weird stuff, but I couldn't hear all of it. Just something about clams and spiders." She knew she wasn't making any sense, but neither had the pair in the alley, so it came to a moot point when all was said and done.

"Weird." But Hiro left it at that, not willing to press her for information when the situation didn't call for it. "Anyway, Nakamura-senpai helped me figure out the mystery behind the playing card. Let's go see Ryohei-occhan, I can show you what I found out there. After we welcome Occhan home."

"Occhan's back from overseas?!" Grinning like a loon, Emiko sped up, leaving her brother in the dust. "What are you waiting for?" she called over her shoulder. "Let's go!" Laughing lightly, he tried to catch up with her. He ended up setting his own pace and stuck to it for the jog back to Take-Sushi, not caring he would arrive later than her. He wasn't in any kind of hurry and, knowing the slick pavement, he would probably slip up if tried to go faster.

Outside the sushi restaurant, he doubled over, panting with both hands on his knees. He wiped the back of one hand across his forehead, getting rid of the sweat there, and then slowed his breathing, evening it out. _Ugh, I really need to start joining Daichi for those morning runs or something._ That thought was soon banished, though. His mornings were for sleeping - nothing more, nothing less. Once his breathing was sufficiently under control, he straightened his uniform back up and entered. Only to find the place completely deserted.

_Ah, that's right. Lunch rush is over. Bet they're in the back._ Taking that into account, Hiro headed towards the kitchen, but the closer he got the easier it was to make out a figure crouching by the door. It wasn't until he was right next to the person that he realized it was Emiko. He was on the verge of asking her what she was up to, but she must have noticed because she quickly placed a finger to her lips and pointed to the kitchen door. It was slightly open and there were voices coming from the other side. In the empty restaurant, it wasn't too hard to make out what they were saying.

"Nn, stop. What are you doing? _Later_. She'll be back any minute." Hiro vaguely wondered if Takeshi was talking about the new employee. "A-Ah, not _there_. Stop being a tease, senpai, not right no -" Anything after that was cut off. The blond peeked through the door to see why and blushed scarlet. Emiko followed his example and had to slap a hand over her mouth to keep quiet, eyes the size of dinner plates by the time her brain processed what she was seeing.

"You shouldn't have called me senpai then," an amused Sasagawa Ryohei pointed out, letting go of the front of Takeshi's gi. The smile on their uncle's face could have been brighter than the sun itself. It was hard to say, they had to avert their eyes. "You know what happens when you extremely mess up like that."

The sushi chef laughed it off, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, I asked for that one. But I'm serious. We have to -"

"If you say the word stop, so help me, Takeshi …" It was playful teasing, meant to be taken as a jest - or maybe a promise. Again, it was hard to tell.

With the adults too absorbed with each other to notice their company, Hiro figured it was time for them to slip away unnoticed. But apparently Emiko had other ideas. Taking it upon herself, she barged right in, pretending she had _not_ just seen something she shouldn't have seen in the first place. Hiro had to admire her tenacity.

Not to mention her ability to stave off embarrassment. "Welcome back, Ryohei-occhan!" There wasn't even a hint of a color to her cheeks when she said that. He envied her. It was only the knowing grin she wore that gave her away.

Walking in behind her, he had to hang his head, consciously willing the blush to leave him alone. It felt like his whole face was on fire. How could Emiko be so casual about this? There had to be some kind of trick to it that he was lacking.

"E-Emiko. Hiro! Woah, where'd you two come from?" Takeshi's light-hearted voice broke through the uncomfortable silence, greeting them happily. "Haha, I knew you were going to come back. But so soon? What happened to Daichi and the rest?"

The blond haired Sawada blinked, trying to work out why that comment had him worrying for a completely different reason. Slowly, the color to his cheeks receded and he could think properly. He then blanched, turning a ghostly white. "Shit! I left Nakamura-senpai and Daichi alone! Together!" He hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, grimacing. "I hope they don't do anything stupid." _But this is senpai we're talking about. Maybe it'll be okay …_ "Ah hell, I should probably go back."

"They'll be fine," Takeshi soothed, talking over his companion who was mumbling something about extreme language and a certain someone needing his mouth washed out to the max. "Did Emiko talk you in to coming back perhaps?" Honey eyes smiled, laugh lines crinkling at the edge. Not for the first time, Hiro thought about just how likeable Yamamoto Takeshi was, a little _too_ likeable if what his uncle had been doing moments ago proved anything.

"U-Uh," the blond flushed, disliking how freely his thoughts could drift.

"What are you saying?" Emiko interrupted before he could finish with something stupid. "Like I'd be hanging out with this half-wit by choice!" Hiding a small smile, Hiro made a mental note to thank his sister later. "But since I'm stuck with him, so are you guys. Get over it."

Takeshi laughed, not holding back. "It must be nice having siblings."

As if they had rehearsed it, Ryohei and Hiro shouted, "Are you kidding?"

The brown haired Sawada snorted, shaking her head. "I'm telling mom you said that, Occhan."

"Tattle-tell," grumbled the white haired man. He moved away from the counter where he was trapping Takeshi and approached the kids instead, smiling despite himself. He caught the two in a group hug and lifted them momentarily off the ground. "It's good to see you both! I missed you guys to the extreme. You're sure growing up fast. Did you get taller, Hiro?" After setting them back down, he ruffled the blond's hair affectionately. "I think you did. Wasn't Emiko the taller one a couple of months ago?"

"Occhan!" A mortified Hiro looked down, shuffling his feet. "I-I wasn't _that_ short!"

Another bubbly laugh had their attention back on Takeshi, the man shaking his head and grinning widely. "Leave the kid alone, Ryohei. You're just jealous because you were shorter than him at that age."

"Maybe so," the older man replied, shrugging, "but that never bothered you, did it." There was a lull as Ryohei thought over something. "Then again, it took you how many years to confess? Maybe I'm wrong."

Takeshi scratched his cheek, unable to respond properly with two kids in the room. "All right already, I get it. That's a sore spot. Haha, still the same old senpai." He paused after that, making a sort of 'hmming' sound in the back of his throat. "Well, I guess I should go check that inventory while I have the chance." He sent a mock scolding look in Ryohei's direction. "Before someone tries to distract me again."

He was half-way to the storage room when Ryohei stopped him with a call of, "I'll get you for _that one_ tonight, Takeshi!"

Confused looks were exchanged by the two left out of the loop until the dark haired man just threw his head back and laughed, ducking into the room. There was a muffled, "Go ahead and try it," behind a closed door and then more laughter that trailed off into a _thump_ and muted _well, that's going to leave a mark_.

- XI -

While Takeshi was hard at work, the siblings were able to catch up with their uncle, listening avidly to the stories he would tell them of his adventures overseas. Ryohei had a passionate way of talking about things and it never failed to capture their attention. The tales always seemed unlikely, more outrageous and far-fetched than the last, but there was something about them that kept the siblings coming back to hear more.

"… and that's when I sucker punched the giant ferocious panda to the extreme! We barely got away, but we somehow did!" The last story of the day finally drew to a close as Hiro and Emiko tried to fight back laughs, nodding sagely. Their uncle seemed appeased, punching a fist in the air. "I don't know about you two, but after that, I'm starving." His stomach growled, showcasing just how hungry he was, and he stood. "I'll go get some food and then it's your turn for some extreme stories."

Once it was just the two of them in the kitchen, Takeshi serving customers and Ryohei no doubt rummaging around in the upstairs refrigerator, Hiro reached for his school bag. He kept an eye on the door and an ear open for noises from the overhead apartment, not exactly wanting to get caught in the middle of explaining about the playing card. Placing the two of hearts on the low set table they were kneeling at, he pointed to the tiny, illegible scribbling in the corner. "Okay, this is going to sound weird, but it's some sort of prototype ink from the government."

Emiko darted her eyes to the open kitchen door and then back, uneasy. "How … do you know that? And why the hell is that ero-thief going through all the trouble? What the fuck do we have that he wants?"

Reaching for a glass of water, he let a few drops spill over onto the card. The once tiny words expanded, retaining the water, and Hiro started to go into detail about what was happening. The ink, the way it was made, acted more or less like a sponge. It wasn't too hard to describe. After that, he explained how he knew what he knew. "Nakamura-senpai's mother works for the government. He's seen this before. It's still in the early developmental stages, but Kano liked it so much he went through the trouble of stealing a sample. About a month ago."

"W-What the hell?" The words began to shrink as the water dried. Before the message could entirely disappear into the minuscule writing, she hastily made sense of what she was seeing. "That's …"

"Yeah. It's a riddle." Hiro moved so his legs were stretching out in front of him, sighing deeply. "I don't get it, but it's some kind of nursery rhyme. I think I've read it in English before."

Puffing her cheeks out angrily, Emiko settled for an irrational, but righteous fury. "He's calling us mice, Hiro! Rodents! Freaky creatures without fur!"

"… Humans _are_ freaky creatures without fur," the blond pointed out bluntly, frowning. _And mice do have fur. At least get your facts straight. _"But that's not the part you need to be paying attention to. It's the time and the place. It's hidden in the riddle. We're being invited somewhere." At her blank stare, he rationalized, "Don't you think so too? 'The clock struck one.' Come on, think about it. Where's the only place in Namimori with a large clock?"

A light bulb must have gone off inside the recesses of her mind because Emiko let an unhurried smile show through. "The clock tower downtown. That's right … that's where …" She didn't have to say it, her brother understood without her needing to. "Okay, so that takes care of location. But what about the time? Is it one o' clock?"

"That's a bit misleading, actually," Hiro mumbled to himself, gaze on the ceiling. "'The mouse ran up the clock' before one. Because afterwards, when 'the clock struck one, the mouse ran down'. I'm betting it's midnight. He wants us by the clock tower by at least midnight."

"Are you sure?" Emiko did not wish to see this through, but not out of fear of her own safety. "And it's a trap anyway. We shouldn't go."

"Either way, he'll track us down," reasoned Hiro tiredly, eyes slipping closed. "I don't want him hurting mom. Or dad. Or anyone else we know. We'll go. And I have a plan." That plan would have to wait to be revealed as Ryohei chose that moment to make his appearance, a bunch of fruit piled high on a sashimi platter that would probably earn him an earful later for using.

"I'm baaaack!" A girl with spiky white hair ambled into the kitchen soon after, swinging a shopping bag back and forth. "Aa, dad, I bought some sleeping pills like you asked. Can I go get started on homework, or -" She faltered in her steps, poise lost. "Uwaaah, it's Hiro!" The aforementioned blond collapsed backwards with the unexpected impact of a hug, letting out a, "Hiiie," that went unnoticed thanks to her loud, "Nya, lucky!"

Emiko cocked her head to the side, eyebrows raised, while Ryohei just watched in amusement. "I take it you've already met Minori then, Hiro?" He laughed heartily and placed the assortment of fruit onto the table for the kids to reach. For Emiko's benefit, he introduced the newcomer, smiling unabashedly. "That's my daughter, Sasagawa Minori. She kind of showed up out of the blue!" There was a rueful undertone to that, as if he was torn on what to think, but there was unmistakable pride at the word _daughter_ and that kind of pride was hard to get rid, even by the worst of thoughts.

"Dad, what's Hiro doing here?" Light gray eyes settled on Emiko and widened. "Oh, oh, oh, you must be Emiko-chan!" Minori sprang out of Hiro's lap and latched onto her other cousin, hugging the brown haired girl tight. "Uwah, I'm definitely lucky! I get to see Hiro again _and_ I get to meet Emiko-chan! My horoscope was right." She snuggled against Emiko, getting comfortable. "Today sure _is_ full of unexpected surprises!" No one but Minori was surprised when the younger girl brushed her off, scowling. "Hey, what was that for? We're family, _family_!"

"What the hell! Go eat fish paste! Stop touching me!" The older girl didn't want to comply, though, and after a bit of struggling she had secured Emiko in a headlock, rubbing her knuckles insolently into the top of her cousin's skull. "Cut it out, that hurts!"

"Nuh-uh, not until you say …." Minori twisted her lips, thinking. "Say I'm the coolest cousin around and that we're going to be the best of friends. Yeah, that'll do."

Using a tactic similar to the one against Nico, the younger Sawada elbowed the person holding her, digging straight back into the undercarriage of the ribs. "Screw you, like I'd say something I didn't mean." As expected, Minori let go, but she didn't double over like the Italian boy and merely rubbed at the sore spot with a wince. "… Serves you right, stupid Nori."

Minori laughed out-loud, a hand clutching at her chest. "Y-You're so funny. Oh god, I'm going to like you! Hahaha, really? _Really?_ Ahahahaha, she thinks I'm seaweed, this is just too funny!"

"Um, Occhan." Hiro stared at his uncle, wide-eyed. "I think the girls have, uh, lost it." Indeed, Emiko had grudgingly joined in with the laughing and the two girls were leaning against each other to keep from toppling over. It made a funny sight.

"Just let them be. Girls are a species all their own." Ryohei's wise message was ruined as soon as he plopped down beside the small table, grabbing for a pear. "Until they calm down, it's better to let them have their way to the extreme."

Hiro didn't argue. His uncle knew more about women than he did. Right? Right …

* * *

**Okay, for anyone who read **_**all**_** of that, you have my deepest admiration. **This is going somewhere, promise, as slow as it seems. Next chapter will _most definitely_ include Reborn and hopefully be up later this weekend. Planning to make it shorter than the rest of these long ass chapters, and it will no doubt set the stage to speed things up too, so~

Ahaha, I hope this isn't _completely _boring, I don't know. I just couldn't … jump right in with where I wanted this to go without a good starting point. Ack, I never realized how hard it is to build up suspense. I should take a break from this and write something cracky. ;;


	6. Cause and Effect

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Author's Notes: **This … did not turn out at all like I thought it would. It's funny how the characters can just take on a life of their own and write what _they_ want, how they want things to go ;; As promised, though, this chapter does include Reborn! Insert victory dance here.

… Now I have to sadly get back to work on an essay, but enjoy! Ooooor not, since that's a matter of opinion, haha. Later!

* * *

**  
Warning Six: Cause and Effect**

The frost-frozen wind was more than enough to chill two lone children to the bone. Hurried footsteps echoed in the air. They had exactly fifteen minutes to get to where they were going or their efforts would be wasted. Despite it all, there was a heavy doubt lingering with them.

"This isn't going to work, Hiro." The girl's breath fogged in the chilly air as the wind blew harder, fiercer, tearing and freezing, making everything that much harder to grasp. "We should have told someone. Dad, mom, _someone_. Hitomi was right. I'm not sure this will -"

His nerves already on edge, Hiro pulled the coat he wore closer around his body, teeth chattering as he managed to say, "No time to think about that now. You never know unless you try. That's what Takeshi-occhan's always saying. We're going to try, Emiko, and we're going to get through this." As much he wanted to, he couldn't muster the confidence to mean what he said. It was just for comfort, to soothe her nerves, but she wasn't stupid. She knew when he meant something and when he didn't.

"Shut up." The harshness in her voice was hard to avoid. "This had better work or I'm going to haunt your fucking corpse."

"That's … mildly disturbing." Hiro shivered, but it wasn't because of the cold this time. He was glad she was with him, regardless. He didn't think he could do this alone. It was a mixed feeling, because he hadn't wanted her to come with him in the first place. _But … that's what he meant by the two, right? The two of hearts, the two of us …_ "We're almost there. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The clock tower came into view soon after, a dilapidated mess of misshapen debris. The essential tower holding up the once magnificent clock was the only thing that had survived the test of time. Most of the stairs were nothing more than an ashen pile of rubble and grim. It would be hard to find footing on their way to the top.

Readjusting the strap to the school bag he had taken with them, Hiro stepped forward. He levered himself up onto a stable platform, one that could be used as a starting point, then leaned over and helped Emiko. He was careful to avoid her injured side when he pulled. It was slow work, refusing to allow speed to overrule safety. When they finally made it, it was just as the clock chimed midnight and it was no small wonder the timepiece still worked at all. The place had been abandoned nearly four years ago. It had once stood proud and tall, for well over six years, and then it had fallen into ruin.

"_Bravo_. Very good," a rich baritone praised. Not one but two cloaked figures appeared in a billowing cloud of smoke, Hiro immediately thinking _trap door_ and wondering where it could be. "I'm almost disappointed that I have to end the game so soon." The hood to the taller figure's cloak was thrown back, a smirking Ikeda moving to tauntingly bow. "My apologies."

"H-Hold up," Hiro hated how much his voice was shaking, but he persisted, "who says the game is over?"

"Well, I thought that was … obvious. Me."

_Just what kind of rules are you playing by?_ The blond furiously wanted to ask that, but he held back, tightening his hold on the bag hanging around his shoulders. "Yeah, okay. But according to _your letter_, if we found what you stole, we go free."

"True, true. I'll humor you." Ikeda motioned for Hiro to come closer, sounding far too triumphant and sure of his win. "So just what are you saying, little Sawada Hiroyuki? That you have somehow won the game?" A mockery of what could have been a laugh escaped into the stillness of the air, the wind having died down. It was as if the wind itself had been challenged, too, and had lost. The smaller individual next to the rainbow haired man squirmed, ill at ease, and it was an interesting contrast to Ikeda's self-assured attitude. "Just accept this gracefully, kiddo. You'll go down as ... well, not a martyr, no, but at least your names will be remembered."

_By who?_ Swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat, Hiro opened the bag at his side. He took out a ribbon and a choker and then warily approached the thief to hand them over. "You should have double-checked after Emiko got a way, don't you think? We win, you lose."

"You win?" repeated the smirking Ikeda as if he really hadn't understood. "Last I checked," an identical choker and ribbon were conjured from thin air, snatched away by the clever hands of a thief, "_these _were the real deal. But I see what you mean. It's commendable. I'd honestly be impressed if I didn't have to kill you now." The objects in question fell to the ground, resting in a heap at Ikeda's feet, discarded without a second thought. "Sorry, this is hard for me to find the words to say, but unfortunately I don't have time to waste on you any more."

Faster than Hiro could react, strong hands wrapped around his throat, squeezing. A hushed "goodbye" met his ears as fingers inched closer to his larynx and pressed down. Instinct taking over, Hiro fought back and clawed at the hands wrapped around his windpipe, a vain attempt to break free.

"Stop it!" That was Emiko, panicking. He could feel it, her fear washing over him in waves. The flight or fight response kicked in and he brought up a knee to weakly leverage away from the suffocating grip of death. The world swayed, blurred, and he could more or less tell he was running out of oxygen.

"S-Stop it. Please." Emiko wouldn't be caught dead saying please, it wasn't her. The tone was too soft and demure and it didn't match her level of severity. "Why do you … why do we," that not quite familiar voice continued steadily, wavering only slightly, "I-I don't understand. Why must we do things like this? Why …?" The person trailed off, unable to finish, but the grip around Hiro's throat loosened.

The blond gasped for much needed air, sagging with relief. _T-That guy could have killed me. Yet he …_

"You have stood by my side for all these years and you have the gull to ask that _now_?" Ikeda fisted a hand into Hiro's hair and forced the boy towards the unknown source of the distraction before abruptly letting go with disgust. "Maybe it's about time you started earning your keep. For whose sake do you think I go to such lengths to support, hm? If you believe you can do better, than by all means, go right ahead. Show me how far that arrogance of yours will get you."

Stumbling, Hiro collided with the other cloaked figure that had accompanied Ikeda, knocking the person's hood back. Light blue hair and downcast eyes were revealed, but Hiro was too shaken up to notice and merely wrapped a hand around his aching throat, rubbing the soreness away. When it sank in who it was, though, he jumped back immediately, guarded and suspicious and just generally confused. "Yo-You! You're that … I knew it! You're with Kano!"

"What's this now? Have you been holding out on me, Karou? You've met with little Hiroyuki, now _that's_ interesting. What ever will I find out next?" The boy, Karou, didn't respond to the taunting. "_Are_ you hiding anything else? Should I be concerned?"

While Ikeda looked anything but, something told Hiro there was more to the story than met the eye. "Leave him alone," the blond found himself saying, chanting in his mind _what the hell? Why am I helping the kid out?_ "If you haven't noticed, I'm still alive."

"Oh, I noticed. But there's been a change of plans. Karou." The blue haired boy tensed and Hiro took that as his cue to start edging backwards. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see his sister and the frightened, pale expression she was wearing seemed a bit disconcerting. She was doing all she could to restrain herself from rushing in, if only because she knew it would mess everything up if she did. They had to bide their time and wait.

"Y-Yes?" Two sets of brown eyes were back on Karou as the boy prompted Ikeda to continue.

"Why don't you take this one while I watch for a change?" There was a menace to the man's speech that hadn't been there previously. "He won't fight back too much. You'll do fine."

_Yeah, not going to happen._ Moving to stand once more at his sister's side, Hiro wasted no time in grabbing her hand and yanking her in the direction of a crumbling pillar. They had to hide, that was the only thing that registered in his mind. They needed to hide and wait.

"And where do you think you're going?" The pillar disappeared in the blink of an eye, transforming into a billowing cloud of smoke. As it cleared the two teenagers were forced to take a step back, lest they step off a three-story ledge. "Why don't you kids stick around? There's no reason for you to run off and die. Not when Karou here is all too willing to help you along!"

_So much for that_, Hiro thought, turning with Emiko and trying to stay strong for her sake. An idea presented itself as he stared at the ground, tightening his hold on Emiko's hand. It could work. They just needed a distraction. _Chocolate._ He hadn't realized he had said it out-loud until the other three on top of the tower gave him funny looks. Ignoring those looks, he rummaged through the bag still at his side and cursed when he noticed the box of candy gone. _Dammit, Daichi! Why did you have to find them!_ His fingers skimmed over something cool and metallic, though. _What's this?_ He brought out what he had found, studying it with unconcealed surprise. _Eh, this is …_ Thinking in the moment, he dropped Emiko's hand and tossed her the object in question, moving forward to stand in front of her. If the other two had noticed the transaction, they didn't deem it necessary to worry about.

"How sweet is he? Trying to protect his little sister. There's something to be said about a good big brother, don't you think?" mocked Ikeda with scathing eyes locked on Karou and seeing no one else for the moment. "Go, finish him off. Before I decide to extend my play time and make this a night you won't be forgetting."

Karou tentatively approached. It wasn't like the two siblings had any where to run, so they stayed put. Once Karou was within reaching distance, Hiro was pulled away from his sister with a mumbled "sorry" from the shorter boy, but he didn't fight back and allowed himself to be dragged along. This person may have been connected to Kano somehow, but that little voice in the back of his mind as of late was telling him he could trust this kid. For one, Karou didn't even seem the sort to harm a fly. _He's got to be the key to unraveling Kano. If we can just hold out … ugh, now _I'm_ starting to doubt this plan. We're so screwed._

"What are you waiting for, Karou? There is no time to hesitate. We've been over this a _hundred times_. The faster you strike, the faster it's over." Ikeda was beginning to grow impatient and it showed. From the very center of the tower, it felt like they were on a stage, being watched for faults by a harsh director, and that director was none other than the infamous Phantom Thief Kano. If the air had felt cold before it felt colder now and heavier, far heavier than it should have been. Karou must have felt it too because the boy's trembling was almost contagious.

"I'm really, really sorry about this," apologized Karou profusely for something Hiro couldn't fathom. Then he was kicked, straight to the gut and _right in the kidneys_. He thought it best to reevaluate that opinion of Karou being harmless; he really wasn't, not at all. "S-Sorry, but I did warn you!" Hiro was momentarily stuck coughing up whatever had been left in his stomach. "A-Are you okay?"

"That's not something you should be asking someone you are about to kill," Ikeda chided, disappointment lacing each word. "Here, let me show you how it's done." In an instant he was next to Emiko, the girl taking a step back and teetering dangerously close to the edge. "Ah, ah, ah," the man said, lackluster all of a sudden, "the boy needs to be shown what a quick death looks like. Shall we?" He had her in his arms, steering her away from the perilous drop and towards her brother. "I suppose I should ask if you have any last words?" he drawled. There was no real intention of letting her speak. A knife had slipped out from up his sleeve and it was held to her throat, just daring her to say something.

Figuring it was now or never, Hiro called out, "Emiko, now!" He struggled against the hold Karou had on his arms and slipped away, hoping to get closer to where the thief and his accomplice had originally appeared from. If he could catch sight of the chokers and ribbons, he could find the trap door. _Every magician has his tricks, right?_ Behind him there was a furious scream, the sounds of thrashing, and then there were footsteps gaining on him. Three pairs. He dropped to his knees when he saw what he was searching for and began feeling around for a latch he could pull. _Come on, come on. We have to find a way out of here. We have to. And soon. Because if not, we'll be caught up in the …_

"Move out of the way, you fucking moron!" The blond went sliding, eyes shut tight and grinding his teeth to stave off a wave of pain. He was too close to the opposite edge by now, which left him scrambling to his knees before he could overbalance and fall backwards. Emiko had located the latch he couldn't find and tugged it open not a moment too soon as he made it back to her side. They escaped into the opening, closing the trap door behind them with a bang. Not having the time to even spare for breath, they started running just as an explosion erupted from the overhead roof.

"Where the _hell_ did you learn to make an explosive, by the way?" Emiko's question was so casual and laidback he could have laughed. Well, if they weren't about to die by the hands of two very incensed people. Or quite possibly the collapsing tower, thanks to the whole 'let's blow shit up' plan. It was really an either or kind of situation.

He gasped out a, "Tell you later," as they dodged around a deteriorating column. Smoke was drifting into the traitorous hallways of the tower too, signaling someone had opened the trap door again. They had no choice but to pick up the pace, either that or risk inhaling too much of the smoke that was beginning to build up in the cramped spaces they were escaping through. There was a hole roughly a meter ahead and they were able to lower themselves onto the next floor before the floor could cave in under them. Speeding up again, they met with a dead end and swore up and down as nothing came to mind about how to avoid the inevitable. They would have to double-back and look for a way down one more flight of stairs. Stairs that weren't there, nothing but the hazardous ruins of yesteryear left in their wake. _Think, think, think._

"Shi – Emiko, watch out!" She had turned instead of reacting and he did the reacting in her place, jumping in front of her and taking the burnt of the attack. Ikeda had caught up with them. Hell, he hadn't heard the man sneak up on them. If he hadn't noticed the shadows behaving oddly, flickering in a way they shouldn't have in the light of the moon, she probably wouldn't have stood a chance. That strike had been meant to kill, he was lucky to walk away with only a deep cut to his arm. "Emiko, get going! Now!" When that didn't seem to sink into her thick-headed skull, he grabbed her arm roughly and pushed her away again. "Get going or I'll never forgive you!"

That did it. She was gone. He slowly turned to face the rainbow haired magician and almost lost his nerve at the smirk on the older man's face. _Ah hell, I'm going to die. Damn, what a way to go. And I never got to … ah well. Goodbye, life, I guess you were nice while you lasted._ Holding on tight to a faint hope he would make it out alive, he backed up until his back hit a partially destroyed wall. Fear was anchoring itself in his chest, bubbling to the surface and making him giddy, rash. He felt like he could do anything, but that couldn't have been right. How could he do anything? There was nothing left to do. Maybe pray, but to who? For who? _W-What's that last barrier in kyudo again? … Fear? Fear consumes the soul. No wait, that's the kidneys. And god, I'm screwed, screwed, screwed. Ah, it was … yes, that was it! Anxiety. It's anxiety that consumes the soul. Have to calm down, think straight. Pretend it's an inter-club competition and I'm down by two shots._

"Do you know why I picked 'Hickory Dickory Dock', little Hiroyuki?" It was rhetorical and so the blond didn't reply. Ikeda liked hearing himself talk far too much and Hiro was happy to let the man speak if it meant prolonging his life just a fraction of a second longer. _God, I never told Daichi … I never told Emiko … I … I …_ "It's because I figured you could relate to it, you see. A little mouse climbing all the way up to the tall, tall top of the clock." Ikeda was too close, leaning over as an arm rested behind the blond on what was left of the wall. "And then the clock strikes one with a great big," the burning clock above chimed an echoing, broken chorus, one _clang_ after another. The time was all wrong, the situation was all wrong, nothing felt _right_. "Well, you get the picture."

"N-No." Hiro heard someone speak and belatedly realized it was himself. _Gah, like I wasn't going to die soon enough … just had to go and speed it up._ Seeing no sense in leaving the sentence hanging, he finished with, "If you were going to choose something, y-you should have went with that lullaby, don't you think?"

"Oh, which one?" The knife spun in masterful hands, waiting for a slip up. "Let me make this clear, though. If I don't like your answer, that'll be the endgame, I'm afraid."

"R-Rock-a-bye, baby." Ikeda laughed, eyes lighting up with what could have been good-natured humor if there wasn't clear, unadulterated bloodlust shining through, tainting the rest of what could have been there. "Y-You know how it goes. Don't you?"

"My memory seems to be failing me. Refresh my mind."

Hiro gulped and tried to bring the words to the forefront of his own mind. They had been in English and he had a hell of a time translating in the midst of chaos. Especially when he had to wince, a part of the floor above them giving way. The smell of burning wood and plaster made him crinkle his nose and he suddenly wanted to throw up as he inhaled too much of the smell. "U-Um." He was getting light-headed again. Was this what they called asphyxia? "When … the wind blows … the cradle will rock." Was it just him or did the ground feel like it was leaning more to the right? _Why did I choose this stupid rhyme, anyway? God, I'm going to die like a moron. … Emiko would laugh her head off. _For some reason the thought of his sister laughing was enough to keep him going. It kept him from giving in, from letting the anxiety overwhelm him. _Stay still_, his mind was telling him and he wisely chose to listen to it for once. _Go on, finish what you started._ "When the bough breaks … the … the cradle will…" He couldn't remember what came next. _Fall._ And he did.

- XI -

"Hiro!" The shout was dampened only by the louder scream of, "Nii-san!" The pair at the base of the tower watched in horrified fascination as the blond fell, dragging the great Phantom Thief with him. It was a beguiling sight and it was made even more so by the fact that, mid-air, Kano turned them around, forcing his own body to collide with the unforgiving ground first.

Emiko ran faster than she had ever run in her life. "Get up, nii-san! Get up right now or I won't forgive you!" The person behind her came to a screeching halt and she heard someone drop down, kneeling on the ground. She felt, more than saw, Daichi leaning over her brother's prone, unresponsive form. He had shown up a little while ago for some unimaginable reason. But then again, somewhere in the back of her mind she had known he would show up. _I bet he followed us. _Out of the blue, he had just _appeared_, helping her get rid of the person chasing her. Not that the kitchen boy turned villain was much of a threat. Karou seemed far too kind for that. The blue haired boy, for his part in the grand scheme, was laying unconscious a few feet away, taken by surprise by the judo club member.

A groan had Daichi instantly on his feet and Emiko eyed the scene with the same suspicion, a bad feeling setting in. That groan hadn't come from her brother, but from the man who had threatened them, tried to kill them, and had just more or less risked his own life to stop Hiro from falling to his death. What the hell was going on? The rainbow haired thief rolled the older Sawada off of him, distaste written in the frown lines of his face. He seemed to watch the gentle rise and fall of the boy's chest, as if hypnotized, and then pulled a knife, resting it over the still beating heart he was being paid to stop. The knife fell from his grip as a sharp, searing pain shot up through his wrist. The same wrist he must have broken from the fall. The man made a hissing noise before reluctantly picking up the knife in his other hand.

Daichi saw this and raised a foot, ready to break the other wrist, but Emiko stilled him with a hand on his shoulder. "H-Hiro said he wanted no one to get hurt. His plan didn't go the way he wanted it to, but for his sake, don't you dare move a muscle." Contradicting herself, the brown haired girl kneeled down to Kano's level and slapped the knife to the side. The man was injured, dazed, and it was easy to get away with a simple move like that. "Fuck you, Phantom Thief. _Fuck you._" With that of the way, she could move on, breathing out deeply with, "We win. You got that, you bastard? Now leave us alone or I'll sic lover boy on you."

"You think I'm going to give up because of something this?" Kano was standing without too much effort, albeit swaying slightly on the spot. "Unheard of. I am the great Phantom Thief Kano! I …"

"Hiyaaaah!" Emiko had to admire the flying form of the newcomer, the kick aimed straight at the thief's face. Not because she was biased and just wanted to see someone smash that face in or anything, of course not. "Nya, lucky strike!" The other girl landed smoothly, pumping a fist in the air. "Did you see that, dad, did you?"

"Extreme!" Emiko grinned so wide when she heard that voice that it pshyically hurt. "Emiko, get over here and explain what's going on." The girl did just that, but not before enveloping her uncle in a large hug, burying her face in his chest. "Hey, hey, that can wait. Are you okay to the extreme?" The white haired man gripped her by the shoulders, worried eyes scanning her for injuries. "Phew, you look fine." His gaze locked onto Daichi attempting to pick up a limp body and immediately rushed to the boy's side. "Eh, that's Hiro! What happened here? Wait! No time for that! We have to get to an extreme hospital right away."

"Woah, calm down, Ryohei. First things first," a calmer voice interrupted. Takeshi intervened and quickly picked up the unconscious Hiroyuki on Daichi's behalf. "Let me take this one, okay?" At the boy's consenting nod, the older man grinned and motioned with his head to the parked car in the distance. "Come on, we'll talk on the way to the hospital."

Emiko eyed the car in disbelief. "Are we all going to fit?" She was including Karou and Kano and blushed when she realized that. She had just assumed the two _bad_ guys would be coming with them and she was furious with her own way of thinking.

"Sure thing!" Minori was beaming as she pulled Karou onto her back, giving the small boy a ride piggy-back style. "We'll just squish the midget and the rainbow-haired dude in the trunk," she joked, shifting the boy she was carrying into a more comfortable position before trotting off to the car. "Nya, I'll beat you." Emiko met that challenge despite being dead tired and Daichi, too, caught up with them with a shake off his head, remarking how childish they were being. The girls insisted on pulling a fast one and left him in the dust.

"Kids these days, so full of energy to the extreme!" Settling down on his hunches, Ryohei poked the groggy, out of sorts Kano with a finger, wondering idly, "You think the boss will get mad if we leave this one behind?"

"Probably." Takeshi shrugged. "But your little girl had a good idea. Let's just shove him in the trunk, haha. It's not like we have any room in the car with the kids. What harm will it do?"

"Pfft, this coming from the guy who wouldn't even shove a hit into the trunk after I extremely told him to do just that!"

"That was different!" Ryohei gave his closest friend the best 'enlighten me' look he could muster. "T-That was … shut up." Changing the subject, Takeshi insisted, "We should get going. Tsuna's still waiting on us to report back. Bring the dead weight, will you?"

The white haired man snorted, lifting Kano into a semi-standing pose and looping an arm around the younger man's waist. "How come I get stuck with the dead weight?" He wrapped one of Kano's arms around his shoulders as well and then made a half-hearted attempt to drag the man along. "He's extremely heavy."

"Do you want to switch?" amiably suggested Takeshi, smiling. "If that's what senpai wants …"

"… You. Are. An. Asshole." Gripping tighter, Ryohei was determined to drag the 'dead weight' along as best he could. "And I think I'm going to have to teach you a lesson after this."

"By all means. I'm in the mood for a good fight." Honey eyes darkened. "Aren't you?"

"Extremely."

- XI -

The doctor listed off concussion and mild bruising mechanically, addressing the concern over the boy's right arm as nothing to worry about. It was a superficial cut, the bespectacled doctor had said, readjusting his glasses. There had been no torn muscles, broken bones, or anything else for them to be concerned about. Everyone could relax.

Emiko plopped down in a chair close to the hospital bed her brother was resting in and curled up, exhaustion creeping up on her. Her uncle had left moments ago with Takeshi and that left her alone with Daichi to watch over the sleeping Hiro. _You moron, wake up already._ The hospital had refused to release Hiroyuki until he woke up, but she was getting edgy despite the sleep calling for her. Seeing her brother lying there motionless wasn't something she wanted to deal with and this was playing hell on her nerves. _Any day now, genius. If you don't remember, you still owe me an explanation about that bomb thingy. _Thinking about explanations, she glanced over to Daichi sitting opposite her in another hardback chair. The soft, relaxed look on his face suited him. He looked about ready to fall asleep any minute now. With Hiro safely out of harm's way, there was no more need for any of them to worry.

_What is it that keeps these two together? Daichi … he's always there for nii-san. And nii-san too. He's always there for Daichi._ She crossed her arms and studied the two of them. That pocket knife Hiro had thrown to her in the midst of all the trouble, for example. She could distinctly remember that being a gift to Daichi. Why had it been with her brother? _Knowing that idiot, he probably did it on purpose. Switching out the chocolates for the knife, did Daichi … know?_ That couldn't be. Hiro had refused to allow anyone else in on their plan. From the hidden explosive to everything in between, they had kept their secrets. Even when Daichi had given them a look that said he knew something was up, they had persisted and kept quiet. The door to the private room creaked open and Emiko stared uncomprehendingly at the visitor. "You again. What do you want?"

"I … I …" The boy fidgeted under her stare. "I wanted to explain why …"

"Karou, wasn't it?" At his name, the blue haired boy perked up, hopeful. "Go the fuck _away_. I liked you better unconscious."

"Keep it down, tryin' to sleep," mumbled Daichi tiredly before turning his back on the door and folding in on himself. "Either talk somewhere else or shuddup."

Karou seemed to take that as an invitation and took a seat at the end of the bed. Emiko didn't know what to think of that or the emotions rolling in those hazel eyes. The internal conflict from the other boy was troubling her greatly. _What's going on inside that mind of his?_

"Is he really going to be all right?" the blue haired boy finally asked.

"No thanks to you," Emiko snapped. It had been too long of a day and pleasantries weren't for her. "Look, not to be rude, but shouldn't you be groveling at Kankun's feet or something?"

The boy's eyes flashed with another emotion she couldn't place. "I-I can't go where Kano-ani is going. They won't let me."

_They?_ "Ah, so you're stuck here too? Might as well get comfortable then, twerp. But let me warn you now, one wrong move and you'll be fish food."

"O-Okay."

Sighing, Emiko pointed to a chair beside her own, the last one left in the room. "Pull up a seat. Unless you plan on sharing the bed with nii-san so you two can cuddle or some shit." Her glare just dared him to try it.

Blushing, Karou obeyed the veiled command. He didn't want her following through with any of her threats. "I-I guess I should start explaining …"

"No need." She closed her eyes and copied Daichi's slumped over posture. "Get some rest, you loser. I don't feel like listening to your pathetic excuses right now." Questions could wait, she was too tired and relieved after the night they had been through. It didn't seem likely Karou would do anything to them while they were sleeping, so she allowed herself some rest, figuring she had earned it.

- XI -

Sawada Tsunayoshi could have been in the equivalant of the North Pole, the air turning frigid in such a short amount of time. "You know. It's one thing to play games. But to harm innocent children. Don't you think that's just distasteful, Phantom Thief Kano?" He was _not_ in a good mood, the only thing keeping him sane was the dark haired man by the window and the fact Ryohei was by the door, guarding it. They had abused a bit of authority to have this room to theirselves, but Tsuna hadn't wanted to waste any time and opted to come down to the hospital. It saved them the trouble of dragging Kano back to the base for interrogation. "You should be grateful. Both my children are alive and healthy. If not, neither would you."

"And you call _me_ distasteful, Vongola? Well, if that's the way you want to see it, then fine. Personally, I like to see it as … investing in the future." Kano was free to cross his arms, no bonds to restrain him. It had been Tsuna's wish to keep the meeting as civilized as possible, given they were in a hospital of all places.

"What kind of future is that?" challenged Tsuna, lacing his fingers together and resting them on top of his legs. He leaned back in his chair and carefully scrutinized the young man in front of him, the one standing for a lack of a better place to sit, besides the bed. "Or maybe you like to make a habit out of harming children? But I'm curious, if that's the case, why do you have a _little boy_ with you? I assume he is with you, he's certainly not with us."

That seemed to strike a nerve within the thief. "Leave Karou out of this."

"A sore spot, is it? What is he to you?" Knuckles going white as he held tight to his own hands, Tsuna attempted a smile. "I can't say I understand you, but if you're trying to protect that boy, then maybe …"

"That's none of your business," ground out Kano, lifting his chin and looking in the opposite direction of the Vongola's Tenth boss. "Keep out of things that don't concern you."

With the conversation at a stalemate, Tsuna steered the subject towards something that _was_ his business. "All right then, but what were you hoping to gain by hurting my children?"

"You have to ask?" Clucking his tongue in disapproval, Kano ran a hand through the messy assortment of colors that made up his hair and then smirked. "Why, money of course."

_Of course,_ Tsuna thought sadly. Greed was as good a reason as any for something like this. "You're being paid, understandable. But by _who_?"

"You kidding, Vongola? To hell if I know. All I care about is the payout."

It was the truth, the hyper intuition he had inherited from the generations before him never lied. There had been times his intuition had withheld things he would do well not to know, but it had never once lied. "So you really don't know." He noticed Takeshi giving him a skeptical look, but there was a hint of understanding in his Rain Guardian's eyes and the matter wasn't addressed as him being too naive. "Then we'll go with something you do know. You've put on quite the show, _Phantom Thief. _Or should I say, Ikeda Kanotoshi. You haven't changed at all, have you? Still using such flashy methods."

"Well, a man's got to make a living." The young man rocked back on his heels, eyes lazily glancing at the door. There was a fleeting thought of escape from the thief's perspective and then it was gone. He wouldn't be able to make it around the Sun Guardian and he knew better than to fight recklessly. "I can't believe I lost to a bunch of kids."

"They were fortunate to have you as an opponent," Tsuna agreed before worrying his bottom lip. "Here's what I'll do, Ikeda-kun. You don't strike me as an inherently bad guy and I'd like to give you a chance." When objections started up from both his Guardians, Tsuna stopped them with a raised hand, holding Kano's gaze with his own. "You have, after all, broken the arrangement between the Vongola and the Momokyokai Yakuza. In exchange for keeping this quiet from Sei-chan, I would like you to do me a … little favor."

At the mention of his boss, Kano went rigid. "Don't talk to me about that bastard. I am no longer allied with _him_."

"Is that so?" Tsuna's eyebrows shot up sky-high. This was news to him. "Okay then. Well, that's even better. Join the Vongola," the Decimo offered with a warm smile that took the younger man off guard. "We could use someone like you, Kanotoshi."

" … You're offering the man who tried to kill your children a _job_?" Disbelief colored Kano's question through and through. "The rumors about you were true. You're too … forgiving."

"You shouldn't trust rumors," Tsuna stated softly, folding his hands back into his lap. "Regardless of what you have done, the fact remains it has nothing to do with me. It was not my decision. I also heard you saved Hiroyuki when you could have very well have let him die. That, to me, says you're keeping something secret. What is your _real_ reason for being here instead of Tokyo with the rest of your gang?"

A lull in the discussion brought everything to a standstill as Kano debated on what to say. "I'm more interested in your favor," relented the thief moodily. "I don't have all day, get on with it."

"You're taking me up on my offer?" insisted Tsuna happily. "Great," he went on without waiting, "then you won't mind mentoring another kid for me? I knew I could count on you!" There was something to be said about his ability to get someone to agree without realizing what they were agreeing to and then completely changing the playing field.

"Wait a minute, Vongola!" Kano started up angrily. "I didn't agree to -"

"You're such a big help, Kanotoshi!" Smiling, Tsuna explained with a great deal of relief, "You don't know what it means to have you around, really. The kid you're going to be watching over is a bit of handful, but try to make the best of it! He's quite something. You'll see. You two will get along _just_ fine."

When Kano later met the kid he would be 'watching over' he would have to wonder if it wasn't the Decimo's way of punishing him after all.

- XI -

Hiro palmed at his eyes, grumbling as he woke and trying to get his vision to adjust to the dim light funneling in through the cracked door. _Where am I?_ The smell was too sterile to be his home or even the Yoshida's. His mind supplied _hospital_ without too much prompting and that was good, it hurt to think too much at the moment.

"Are you awake, Hiroyuki?" There was a sense of déjà vu as the blond took in his father standing in the doorway, but there was no smirk, only a comforting smile. "Good, you seem healthy. I'll have the doctor draw up the discharge papers and have them ready in the morning. You should get some more sleep. Everyone, including you, looks beat." Tsuna started to the pull the door shut after wishing his soon a good night. "You can tell me all about what happened in the morning. We'll have a lot to talk about then."

"D-Dad," Hiro made to sit up in bed, not willing to go back to sleep just yet, "I want to know what's going on." His efforts were halted as something, or more appropriately someone, snuggled up to his side. He blinked down at the girl holding on to him and made a face. _How did I not know she was there?_ "Minori, wake up …" Shaking his cousin awake didn't seem to work and he helplessly looked at the rest of the sleeping faces in the room. Daichi was draped over the chair in such a way that he had no doubt his friend would be complaining about a stiff neck in the morning and Emiko, too, was curled up in a chair, head resting on the shoulder of the boy next to her. _What's Karou doing here?_

"I know you have a lot of questions, Hiroyuki, but they will have to wait." Hiro wanted to ask why, but the serious expression on his father's face had him holding his tongue. "I promise. When the time comes, we will talk about everything."

_He's being honest,_ Hiro thought with absolute certainty, relaxing back onto the bed and nodding. "I'll hold you to that, dad."

"Wouldn't expect any less," Tsuna replied with a gentle, light-hearted laugh. "Go back to sleep now, before we wake everyone up." Agreeing that was the best course of action, Hiro allowed Minori to snuggle a bit closer and wrapped an arm around her, closing his eyes. As he drifted back to sleep, he could have sworn he heard his father whisper, "Don't forget what today feels like," but he didn't think he could forget today, even if he tried.

XI

_Ugh, I'm never going to hear the end of it, not if I go through with this… _Tsuna nearly flung the phone across the room so he didn't have to stare at the taunting screen that had one name highlighted on his speed dial. He didn't give into the urge, though, figuring that would just be too childish. He simply stared at the cellular in morbid fascination. _What am I waiting for? I have to call him. It's not like he's going to call me this time._ The repairs to his house had been finished two days ahead of schedule, a record-breaking event, and he had the whole place to himself for the time being. He could do this, he could get through this.

He couldn't do this. Sighing heavily, he stood and decided to take a bath instead. He needed to clear his head. _I'm so tired I can't think straight._ Letting his worn body slip into refreshingly warm water helped. It was enough to ease his worrying, but it was over too soon and he had to get out and stop contemplating drowning himself in the tub while he still had the chance. Picking the phone back up when he reached the study, he punched in the number for the one person he had been hoping to avoid. No need to hit speed dial then, he knew the number by heart.

"Ciaossu," a familiar voice drawled on the other end of the line, comically high-pitched but still the same as ever. "It's about time you called me, Dame Tsuna." Tsuna pulled the phone away from his ear, gaping at it. His old home tutor was seriously telepathic or a mind reader or _something_. "My phone has caller id, stop gaping like an idiot." Yup, definitely a mind reader. _Or maybe the house is bugged?_ Having let his mind wander, he tuned back in to the conversation to catch the last of the reprimand he was surely receiving. "– calling from your cell, not the base. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Though, admittedly, I am one. How is it possible you're still alive again?"

"That would be your fault," argued Tsuna, getting his bearings back. "You taught me everything I know, Reborn." When no willing response came, Tsuna prompted, "And that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. The kids are growing up fast. I … don't know what to do. They're going to need training and soon and I," Tsuna paused and grimaced, "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind teaching them like you taught me."

There was silence, followed a moment later by a barely there _click_. Something hit the floor with a sickening thud. "If I must."

With a sigh, Tsuna leaned back in his chair and then ran a hand through his still wet hair. He was tired, a little aggravated, and this wasn't going at all the way he had hoped. "It's not an order, Reborn. I'm asking you as a friend." A quiet, "Mm," was his only reply. "Come on, for old time's sake?" He loosened the tie around his neck and grinned when there was a surprised chuckle. "Is that a yes?"

"No. That's a maybe."

Tsuna would take what he could get. He had nothing left to lose, not where Reborn was concerned.


	7. November Eleventh

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Author's Notes: **I'll admit I've been kind of distracted by the new arc lately, but man, am I late or what? Nevertheless, a big thank you to anyone still willing to continue and I hope you enjoy this after such a long wait.

* * *

**Warning Seven: November Eleventh**

It had been a week since the whole fiasco with Kano and still Hiroyuki couldn't get it out of his mind. His father had cleverly avoided most of his questions, too, and that had left him irritable right up until the archery competition a few days ago. Namimori Middle had taken fifth, earning them a slot to enter the Prefecture Tournament in spring. He could finally breathe easier, knowing he hadn't disappointed his teammates.

Everything was at long last winding down. The club would probably be practicing non-stop, but that didn't mean he couldn't be relieved in the meantime. The only thing weighing heavily on his mind now was the mystery surrounding his father. What was the man hiding?

Flipping a page in the magazine he was reading, he shook his head to clear it and mumbled about leaving well enough alone. He was glad he was the only one in his room at the moment. If anyone saw him talking to his self they would surely start thinking he was crazy. Well, if they didn't already. Losing interest in his sports magazine altogether, he tossed it aside and rested on his stomach for a while, thinking of nothing but tomorrow.

Tomorrow was his birthday, November eleventh, and his father had promised it would be one day he would never forget. What was that supposed to mean, anyway? A birthday he would never forget, he wasn't sure if that would be a good or a bad thing when coming from his father's point of view. Rolling over onto his back again, he stared up at the ceiling blankly and forced himself to think of anything but his father. It was in vain, because his thoughts always kept coming back to what his dad could be hiding and why.

All the questions in his mind led back to the conversation he had been able to have with his father nights ago, the day after he had been released from the hospital. At the time he had been too preoccupied with explaining to catch it, but with a clear head and nothing else to keep him busy, he couldn't help but wonder how his dad had known what he had been planning. Even Emiko hadn't known what his true intention with the explosive had been, hadn't even considered it was for attention, to make someone question what was going on and call the police.

It would have been too obvious if he had tried calling them on the rooftop and he knew he wouldn't have had time afterwards. Calling them beforehand had been out of the equation, too. He had made sure to think of all of that, long before he put his plan into motion. And yet his father had guessed everything right down to the letter and more. Sure, Emiko had known he hadn't wanted anyone to get hurt, but she hadn't seen or understand as much as their dad had in that one moment of conversation. Just who _was_ that man? Did he even truly know? The answer was a startling and crystal clear no.

"Hiro, phone call!"

"Coming, mom!" Hiro quickly bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Who is it?" Kyoko just smiled and handed over the phone. "Hello?" His mother ruffled his hair affectionately before heading back into the kitchen to no doubt finish dinner. He watched her go with his own small, irreplaceable smile.

"Yo, took you long enough. Slowpoke," a reassuringly familiar voice teased. It succeeded where Hiro couldn't and got rid of the funk he had been in most of the evening.

"Daichi," he said with exasperation, though it was faker than any actor's. "What are you doing calling me at -" He glanced down at his watch to check the time. "At a quarter after seven? _You're_ the one who took too long." It was true. Daichi usually always called at seven if they weren't over the one another's house at the time. This schedule of sorts had been going on for years, though if something came up unexpectedly they never held it over the other. Well, not for too long, anyway.

With Daichi calling later than normal, he already knew something was up. "Yeah, well, that's sort of the thing." His friend's annoyed tone didn't escape him, either. "I -" There was a moment of hesitation as Daichi seemed to change tactics, murmuring a low, "I wanted to wish you an early happy birthday." Yes, something was definitely going on.

Now just to figure out what. "What, why?" The blonde shifted so he was leaning against the closest wall, readying himself for a long conversation if it came to that. "Won't you be at school tomorrow to wish me that?" He bit back the '_you'd better be'_ on the tip of his tongue because he really had no right to say that. Especially if something was going on that he wasn't being told at the moment.

"Actually, no, I won't." Hiro could imagine his friend rubbing nervously at the back of his neck and sighed, knowing already that he couldn't get mad. His best friend wouldn't be saying that if there wasn't a good reason. He would have to be patient and wait to be told. Daichi would do that for him, he had to do the same for his friend. "Mom's going to be out in Kantou for an investigative report. For roughly a month. So I'm staying with my uncle in the next town over."

For a moment it felt like a lead weight had settled in the pit of his stomach, but Hiro shrugged off the feeling and concentrated on talking instead. Talking some sense into his friend seemed much more appealing than making himself sick with worry. "Aren't you going to miss too much school if you do that? Why don't you ask your mom if you can stay with us? Call it returning a favor."

Daichi laughed and it was enough to settle the nerves and anxiety Hiroyuki hadn't realized were building to an almost unbearable level until they were gone. "Nah, don't worry about it. I haven't seen my uncle in forever, it'll be good to catch up. And I'll be at school, get that whole skipping thing out of your head. I just need a day to settle in, unpack, and then I'll be back to bug you, Hiro-chan."

The blonde crossed his arms, balancing the phone between his neck and shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. So you're commuting? How long will that take you?"

"I don't know," his friend replied in such a way that suggestion he did know how long it would take. _Stupid friends who like to withhold information._ "But that's my problem, not yours. Seriously, ease up before you get too many permanent worry lines and I can't tell if that's your face or a basset hound's reflection in a mirror."

Good old Daichi, trying to make light of any situation. Hiro couldn't help but grin, looking away from the spot he had been staring at for well over five minutes. "So you're staying with your dad's brother then? I thought you usually went to your aunt's when your mom was out of town. Isn't she closer?"

"Well, yeah, but she's going to be out of town, too. Something about working overseas and banking." Even Daichi seemed skeptical about the excuse, so Hiro felt justified in his own suspicions. For one thing, last he had heard Reiko's sister had been working at a ramen shop. Since when did that involve banking? Then again, maybe the strange woman had finally gotten that promotion she had been hoping for. "Anyway, I'll give you your present the next time I see you, okay? Sorry I'm going to miss out on all the fun tomorrow. I was looking forward to it, but then this happened."

"It's okay," Hiro assured, back to holding the phone with his left hand. "And hey, you had better call me tomorrow and let me know how things are going over there. Deal?"

"Deal," promised Daichi without even pausing. "And you had better tell me how your birthday went. I want to know what my present has to live up to and all that."

"Sure, sure." Hiro laughed, lowering his head so he could stare at the floor. "You just want to know if I get any candy, am I right? And speaking of that, I still have that pocket knife, you know. Remind me later and I'll give it back."

"I will, now go eat dinner, Hiro. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Sleep well," the blonde answered back, a little uncertainty coloring his voice. Whenever Daichi went to his uncle's, he always came back sadder than he needed to be. He knew his friend needed to talk with someone about his father's accident years ago, but that didn't make it any easier to see his friend sad.

"I'll be fine, Hiro. What did I tell you about worrying?" Although there was only teasing in that voice, the young Sawada could tell Daichi was uncertain as well, but much more certain that he wanted it that way than Hiro could even hope to be. "So wish me good night and say it _nicely._"

"You're an idiot." And he hung up, because it was what he normally would do. He had the feeling Daichi would be fine and that was enough for him.

- XI -

Arriving home later than expected, Hiro was surprised that no one was home. It was his _birthday_, where was everyone? Then he thought of Emiko and her constant reminders throughout the day and came to the conclusion he was supposed to be somewhere. Though the where completely escaped him at the moment.

"Are you Sawada Hiroyuki?"

The blonde turned to see who was addressing him, still distracted by where he should have been, and found a little boy looking at him. There was such expectance in the stare that Hiro was taken aback. "Who are you? Are you lost, kid?" He was prepared for anything but the foot that suddenly collided with his face. An _ow_ just didn't do it justice either. "What the hell was that for?"

"Answer the question," the kid stated coolly, readjusting the odd looking hat he wore. "Or are we not speaking the same language?" When Hiro opened his mouth to speak, he found no words capable of replying to that. _Is this kid just naturally this bratty?_ "Sorry, what was that? I don't speak idiot. I should go find a translator. Is your father home?"

Hiro bristled at the indirect insult to his dad. He may not know the man as well a normal son should, but that didn't mean he would take a comment like that lightly. Keeping his temper in check, he reminded himself this was a kid he was dealing with, one who couldn't be older than six. He brushed off the harsh words as if they were nothing. "Oi, kid. Shouldn't you be at home, getting tucked into beddy-bye?"

Well, maybe he hadn't _completely_ brushed the jibes off like they were nothing. Though it only earned him another kick to the face for his troubles. "What the hell is your problem, demon child? Leave me alone!"

"Are you Sawada Hiroyuki?" the little boy repeated, tilting his head innocently to the side as if he hadn't resorted to violence to get his way. _This kid_, Hiro thought, _has some serious issues._ For seemingly no reason at all, the blonde was kicked in the shins.

"Ow, what was that one for?"

"The sooner you learn I can read minds, the better off you'll be. Now shut up and answer the question. It's really not that hard to do. Even for an idiot like you."

Not bothering to point out how impossible it would be to shut up _and_ answer at the same time, Hiro muttered a sulky, "Yes." He usually didn't mind kids, but this one was getting on his nerves. "Now can I ask how you knew my -" His question was cut off as his face suddenly decided to become better acquainted with the sidewalk, the kid having yanked at his tie to overbalance him. He let out a muffled _oof_ as the boy even had the audacity to sit on his back, getting comfortable and everything. "Get off me!"

Any and all protests were ignored as the kid crossed his legs, humming a pleasant little tune. "Allow me to introduce myself. But first, I suppose a happy birthday is in order." Hiro would have been more inclined to consider that sincere if the kid wasn't _sitting on his back_. "That out of the way, I am Reborn. Learn it well, ragazzo. From today onwards, I will be your new home tutor."

Taking a moment to absorb that information in its entirety, the blonde was left blinking slowly at the ground, wondering if he had heard correctly. "You're … a tutor?" He vaguely recalled a story about a girl who fell down a rabbit hole and dreamed up a backwards world. Hiro was beginning to think he had fallen down a rabbit hole and hadn't even realized it. "Yeah, I'm dreaming. Hold on a sec." He shifted and pinched himself on the arm, wincing when it felt real enough. "… Huh."

"Would you like me to shoot you and see if this really is a dream?" The kid sounded too hopeful. Hiro immediately declined. "Well, your loss. Now are we going to stand around all day or am I wrong in assuming you have a party to attend?"

Figuring it would be too much trouble to object and tell the kid to go home, Hiro settled on a shrug and explaining he didn't know _where_ he was supposed to be. In response, the kid dragged him off to some place Hiro wasn't sure he wanted to go.

- XI -

"Happy birthday, Hiro my boy!" The blonde couldn't help but laugh a little as his grandfather caught him in a hug. He had only stepped through the front door to the bowling alley and already he was being ambushed. Then, since that wasn't enough, he was handed over to his grandmother who gave him an equally tight hug before shooing him off in the direction of his parents.

Kyoko lit up when she saw him, enveloping her son in a hug well-warranted after such a long wait. "What took you so long? We were starting to get worried you wouldn't show up."

"I did tell him he was supposed to meet us here," Emiko pointed out. "I don't see why you and dad were so damn worried." Their parents gave her a look that said, point blank, watch your language, but she studiously ignored it. "He would have gotten here eventually."

Hiro wasn't convinced of her nonchalance, though. He could tell she had been concerned, but in her own, purely Emiko way. After the incident with the Phantom Thief, they had both become more cautious. That one experience alone had taught them a lot.

"And here I am," agreed the blonde, if only to divert his parents attention to him. "Hey, dad, I've got a question for you." He wasn't sure why his father looked so nervous all of a sudden, but it was an interesting development. "Would you know this kid?" He held up said kid who was currently attached to his leg, having hitch-hiked a ride. "Because he says he's my home tutor." The exchange of looks between the kid and his dad was enough to pique his interest further. "Is there something I'm missing here?"

For a split second, it looked like Tsuna had something to say, but it was quickly ruined as Emiko blurted out, "Hey, wait a minute, why don't I get a tutor?" Hiro was curious about that, too. Were his grades really that poor that he was the only one that needed a tutor? Last time he had checked, he had been getting average, to-be-expected grades. What more did his parents want?

"Quite the opposite," the kid finally spoke up, unlatching himself from the blonde's leg and hopping up onto Emiko's shoulder. "I am here to tutor you _both_." Now that wasn't what Hiro had expected at all.

"Can we talk about this later?" Tsuna interrupted. "Now that Hiro's here, why don't we bowl? That was the plan, let's stick to it." No one argued, though Hiro wished he had when all was said and done.

And like the girl who fell down the rabbit hole, all he could think was: curiouser and curiouser. Would the strangeness never end? The answer was an obvious no, it would not. Mostly because an hour later his dad was sneaking off with the little boy. Albeit the kid looked more like a little girl now, what with the kid's black hair pulled back into a ponytail and no hat in sight. Hiro was kind of suspicious of where the kid had gotten the kimono from, though, since he was positive the boy had been wearing casual, everyday clothes earlier. Then again, stranger things had been happening lately. Why would a little boy pretending to be a little girl be any different?

- XI -

The first thing Tsuna did when he finally found himself alone with Reborn was lock the door. It probably should have seemed weird to be in a bathroom, a _men's_ bathroom, with a kid who currently looked like a vulnerable little girl, but Tsuna had been in weirder situations. This was nothing on his weird scale. "What were you doing confronting him on your own like that, Reborn? We talked about this! You were supposed to wait until tonight when I could have been there to properly explain."

"Waiting is boring." The kid seemed unfazed by the scolding, but a gun slid out from the large, bulky sleeves of his kimono to be pointed at the offending man in front of him. "And knowing you, you probably would have backed out if I hadn't acted on my own." Tsuna looked away and it was enough to confirm the kid was right. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"Look, Reborn, these are my _kids -_"

"I noticed. They're just as stupid as you." The dark haired boy smirked at the tensing of the other's shoulders. "I heard about what happened with the Phantom Thief. Interesting, that you would hire him on. I hope that comes with a good story?"

"Later," ground out Tsuna, not yet done discussing Reborn's actions. "I want to know what you thought you could accomplish by doing what you did, first."

"I thought I explained that." Reborn pretended to be confused. "Or did I leave something out?"

"You told him exactly what you told me all those years ago! He thinks he has a home tutor! _Reborn_, come on. You're not making this any easier to tell them about … about -"

"Huh, really?" Tsuna twitched, hating the sarcasm in that voice. "If you had really wanted to tell them, why wait until I arrived? You know me; I'm not going to wait around for _you._"

Catching Reborn's gaze with his, Tsuna tried to explain. "I wanted you to be here when I told them, is that too much to ask? I want _you_ to be the one to teach them, to protect them when they need someone the most. I want -"

Reborn held up a hand. "You want me to be a bodyguard, is that it? I refuse. I said I would teach them, not abide to their every whim. Find someone else."

Frustrated, Tsuna finally said what he had been holding back, "I want it be _you, _Reborn. You've always been there for me and I want that to hold true for my kids. Can't you just …?"

"Like I said, I won't be a bodyguard to a bunch of idiots and your kids are not you, Tsuna. What makes you think I will bend over backwards for them? _They_ aren't my boss. Then again, neither are you." That was true, since Tsuna had long ago found out that it was only because Reborn _chose_ to stand by the Vongola that he held any sort of obligation to the Family.

The best Tsuna could hope for was Reborn's help in teaching his children. He sighed and extended a hand to the gun-wielding child. "All right, fine. I will ask nothing more than that you teach my children, as you taught me. Nothing more."

The gun disappeared back out of sight and the kid accepted the hand extended to him, shaking it once before letting go. "Pleasure doing business with you, _boss_." Tsuna nearly laughed at the flippant way it was said, but caught him self in time and just smiled instead. It seemed they would be doing this Reborn's way no matter how much authority Tsuna could have claimed. "Now, let's go have a talk with those idiots you call your children."

- XI -

"You're _what_?" Hiro's jaw would have hit the floor if Emiko hadn't elbowed him in the stomach right then, snapping him out of it. "You can't be serious, dad! Emiko, check his temperature! Maybe the kid poisoned him or something."

The kid in question sat harmlessly on their father's desk, an oval desk they had never seen before. Hell, the place in general was one they hadn't seen before, but their mother had been perfectly at ease with the situation, walking off arm in arm with Haru to go exploring. Hayato had followed morosely after them, their father wishing for some 'privacy' for the conversation they were about to have. And Hiro could see why, his dad was nuts, off his rocker, completely _insane_. It seemed their father would have to retire early so they could admit him to the loony bin.

"Oh, but it's true," the little boy insisted, which might have been taken to heart if it hadn't been said in such a bored manner. Hiro was also a bit put off by the pressed, highly expensive suit the kid was wearing. Was that Armani? Maybe this wasn't so far-fetched, after all.

What was he saying? His dad a _mafia_ boss? How was that even possible? "This is crazy!" He threw his hands into the air, ready to give up and just accept everything as fact because this _had_ to be a dream. Glancing over at Emiko, he was relieved to see she found this all as absurd as he did. At least there was someone else who was partially sane in this room.

"Dad, is this supposed to be a joke?" Emiko spoke up at last, confusion evident. "I mean, it would make sense, sure, but -" Wait, what did his sister _mean_ it would make sense? "Why couldn't you tell us about this earlier? I can't believe something as stupid as 'against tradition' or whatever." Apparently they weren't as in agreement as Hiro thought; they were skeptical about two completely different things.

The blonde swore he heard Reborn mutter something about one of them being not as stupid as the other and immediately felt insulted. "I refuse to believe this. Any of this." To be honest, what he couldn't believe was what he had just said. But this was a dream, it had to be, so what did it matter? Hiro closed his eyes this time as he pinched his arm, hoping against hope something had changed and he would finally wake up.

Emiko took it upon herself to slap her brother upside the head. "Oi, get a hold of yourself. _You're_ the one acting like a crazy person, nii-san."

The blonde turned his anger and confusion on her instead. "How can you accept this? We're _not_ mafia, Emiko. We can't be!"

"Why can't we?" she asked, affronted, which only served to confuse her already confused brother more. "Dad said we are, so we are. Don't you get it, nii-san? _This_ is why we were targeted by that Kankun guy. We're next in line to take over the clam family, of course!"

Hiro was under the impression his sister watched too much TV or read too much manga. It was corrupting her brain. "Do you hear yourself, Emiko? Dad didn't even say that! We're being targeted because we're related to him, that's all." He backtracked and slapped himself on the forehead. "But that doesn't mean I believe any of this, really." That was a weak excuse; even he had to admit that.

"As amusing as all this," cut in Reborn, "your sister is absolutely correct, ragazzo."'

"My name isn't ragazzo, it's Hiro. Understand? Use my _name_, please." That out of the way, Hiro went on to address the more important issue. "And what do you mean my sister is right? Right about what?" This couldn't be happening. If it was true, if all of this was real … sure, it really would explain a lot, but the repercussions, he didn't even want to think about them.

"I thought it was obvious. You, _ragazzo_," the kid pulled out what looked like a family tree, tapping it with a green pointer where Hiro's name was listed, right before Emiko's, "are first in line for the Vongola's esteemed title of Eleventh." Reborn didn't so much as hesitate, stating the truth like the cold, hard fact it was. "Emiko is second and then there are two more candidates after her. You know, in case something comes up unexpectedly." The tone implied it wouldn't be a pleasant something. "There are more minor candidates as well, but we won't include them."

"But right now neither of you are in the actual running for boss," Tsuna assured. "The person who takes my place must meet certain qualifications."

"And that's where I come in," continued Reborn, the un-excitement rolling off him in waves. "I'm here to teach you those qualifications so maybe the next generation won't be as … splendidly stupid."

"Reborn!" reprimanded Tsuna instantly, flushing red. "You're here to -"

"Protect them and love them and be the father you can't seem to be apparently? Hardly. I'm here to _teach_, no?" And that was that as far as the kid was concerned, or so it seemed, because their father stopped trying to say otherwise.

Fed-up with everything, Hiroyuki looked towards the window, desperately wanting to be anywhere but here. "I'm going for a walk," he announced, turning abruptly and making his way to the door. His father called him back, but he didn't hear him, already halfway down the hall.

- XI -

Hiro was officially lost. He wished he had brought his cell phone, but no good there. He had left it at home and hadn't had time to grab it. Not with some kid dragging him unceremoniously to a party that should have been more fun, _would_ have been more fun if his best friend had been there. Then again, being carted off to an underground base kind of ruined the night. Especially after he found the reason his dad needed a base in the first place was because he was a _mafia boss_. He was pretty sure normal parents didn't tell their kids on their birthdays that they were going to be inheriting a mafia. _Definitely not going to be forgetting this birthday any time soon, guess he was right about that._

Giving up on finding a way out of the maze of hallways, Hiro slid down the nearest wall and rested, drawing his knees up to his chest and placing his chin on top of them. He felt more alone than he had ever felt. Emiko had already accepted this crazy stuff, why couldn't he? Maybe because he was thinking more towards the future, while she was living in the here and now. He could see what she couldn't. If they really were the kids of a mafia boss, a famous one at that, they were going to be targeted more and more. Kano was only the tip of the never-ending iceberg. He didn't want to live a life like that. He didn't want to be _mafia_.

"Hiro?" The soft unmistakable voice of someone he didn't want to see right now had him glancing up, cursing the way his eyes were no doubt shining. He hated how easy it was for him to cry sometimes. "Hiro." There was no question, only understanding as the person took a seat beside him, pulling him into a sideways hug. The blonde didn't protest, allowing it if only because he didn't want to be alone.

"What am I going to do, Hayato-occhan?"

"You're going to do what you know is right. _That _is the answer of a Vongola."

Hiro couldn't say he understood, but he nodded anyway and took a deep breath. He had something he needed to do. It was something that could probably wait until he had proper control of emotions again, but he didn't want to miss this chance. "Can you take me to see my dad, please?"

"If that's what you want. Follow me."

The blonde accepted the hand that helped to pull him back up onto his feet and then trailed after the other man quietly. The labyrinth of halls and rooms went by in a blur as they walked deeper into the heart of the base. The place gave off a feeling of mystery and deception the further they went, which never seemed too far off from being disturbed. Hiro didn't mind that feeling, but there was something underneath, a misplaced something that was bothering him quite a bit. It was familiar somehow, but he wasn't sure how that would be possible.

"Boss, I found him. He's fine. Though he has something he wants to say." The young boy sighed and stepped into the room willingly. As soon as he saw the room had an extra occupant, he quickly stepped back out. He was muttering to himself when Tsuna stepped out of the room to join him.

When a hand landed on his shoulder, Hiro jumped. He calmed down when he noticed it was his dad and then looked away, a shot of anger running through him. "How could you let _him_ in on this when you didn't even tell _me_?" He could understand Hayato, the man was best friends with his father, but Nico? That stupid Vancillo punk, what was he doing here?

"I could have killed him," his father said with such seriousness that Hiro was staring, wide-eyed, at the man he had thought he had known once upon a time. "But I didn't. He asked for redemption and I granted it to him. So far he's held true to his word and we'll see how it goes, but he's an assassin, Hiro. I think it goes without saying he can't be trusted."

Hiro was relieved to hear that his father thought the same as him. At least there would be no misunderstandings if they both knew where the other stood. "Okay. And dad, about …" Tsuna smiled and patted his son on the shoulder encouragingly. "I don't want to be in the mafia, but I don't want Emiko getting caught up in something she doesn't understand. So I guess …" _I guess if it's for her, I could._

"If that's what you want to do, Hiro, do what you think is right." His father's smile turned sadder than he had ever seen it. "I won't force you to do this, though. It might just be better if you choose not to accept."

"But I will," Hiro said resolutely, knowing if he didn't say it now he would change his mind and he would regret it for the rest of his life. "My only request is that you pick me before you pick her."

"Then that will be my birthday present to you," conceded Tsuna, closing his eyes so he didn't have to see the determination he had once seen in himself. "Just promise me one thing." When he opened his eyes again, they were burning with an inner flame that fascinated and enthralled. "The day you become my successor, I want you to destroy the Vongola. The one thing I could never accomplish, even to this day."

If Hiro was shocked, he didn't let it show. "I will," he promised, because he knew it was the right thing to do. He may have been caught up in something he didn't fully understand either, but he knew what his father was trying to say. His dad was tired of living a life he didn't want and Hiro couldn't refuse getting rid of what had caused so much pain. What he was getting himself into, though, only time would tell.


	8. Lost in Transition

**: Pull the Trigger :**

First Shot, Warning

**Disclaimer: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn! is the property of Amano Akira.

**Author's Notes: **Life likes to throw curves a little too much sometimes. Between those curves balls and my own spectacularly fail writing methods, I finally managed another chapter. Sorry for such a long wait, guys.

* * *

**Warning Eight: Lost in Transition **

"_The number you have dialed has been temporarily disconnected. Please hang up and try again later."_ Thosewere not exactly the words Sawada Hiroyuki wanted to hear at the moment. Annoyed, he rubbed at his tired eyes and forced thoughts of sleep out of his mind. It was bad enough he had fallen asleep on the way home when he should have been thinking over the whole information overload that was trouble in the making. _Where are you, Daichi? Pick up already._

Every single time he punched in his friend's cell number, the same computer animated message greeted him. It didn't make sense. Switching tactics, he turned his school bag inside out in hopes of locating his agenda, the only place Reiko's mobile number was listed in case of emergencies. This probably wasn't an emergency, but it was weird that he couldn't get in contact with his friend. There hadn't even been one message on his home phone _or_ his cell from Daichi, implying something was definitely wrong. Never mind that it was a quarter after midnight and normal people would have been asleep by now.

Finding what he was searching for, he pulled the small notebook out and flipped to the contacts page. He dialed the number he needed quickly and waited for someone to pick up on the other end. When no one answered on the first try, he redialed and planned to keep redialing until there _was_ an answer. The ringing was interrupted as a drowsy Reiko mumbled a, "Hello," into the receiver.

"I'm sorry for waking you up, Yoshida-san," Hiro apologized, and then jumped right into why he had called. "But I can't get a hold of Daichi and I was hoping you could help me out."

Reiko sounded much more wake when she spoke next. "Hiro-chan, is that you? What do you mean you can't get a hold of Daichi?" There was a shifting of covers on the other end as she no doubt got out of bed. "I just talked to him this afternoon. Are you sure you dialed the right number?" She seemed to realize how absurd that sounded on her own without Hiro needing to point out that he would _never_ forget his best friend's number. "What am I saying? Of course you did."

"Yoshida-san," Hiro cut her worrying short as something clicked in his mind, "is there a reason you sent Daichi to stay with his uncle instead of asking us?"

The silence on the other line spoke for itself. "You don't understand, Hiro. There was no choice. You make it sound like there was, but there _wasn't_." There were too many people with secrets lately, was he surrounded by them?

"What's going on?" questioned the blonde flatly, staring straight ahead at his door. The floorboard had creaked outside of his room and he was pretty sure his sister was up still. "Hold on for a second." He covered up the mouthpiece without waiting for a reply, approaching the door as quietly as he could on the off chance it wasn't Emiko. The door knob wiggled and turned on its own before Hiro could get to it, a brown haired girl peeking around the door when it opened a crack and confirming his suspicions. He put a finger to his lips and then motioned for her to have a seat in the room, shutting the door after her. "Sorry about that, but I still want to know what's going on."

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," Reiko said shortly. Her tone expressed regret, but she wasn't talking no matter how convincing Hiro decided to get. "I should call Daichi, though. When I get a hold of him, I'll give you a call back." She hung up before Hiro could get another word in edge-wise.

"And what was that all about?" wondered Emiko curiously. She had taken up a seat at his computer, playing a game of psycho explosion minesweeper with the volume turned down. Hiro made a sound of disapproval at her choice of entertainment and then walked over, phone in hand, to sit beside her with his back against the computer desk. "You look like shit," she commented offhandedly, clicking vigorously at the little explosions on the screen. He wondered how she could tell if she wasn't even looking.

"Yeah, well, I feel like it too." The older Sawada rubbed at his eyes again. "I don't know why you're not as freaked out about this as I am, Emiko. Our dad," he started slowly, "is a mafia boss. There is a kid," he continued, voice lower than low, "sleeping three doors down in our guest bedroom who claims to be the world's _greatest hitman_. And you're sitting here in my room, playing computer games, like everything is okay times three."

Emiko shrugged, brown eyes glued to monitor. "Mine froze up, stupid computer."

That was not what he meant. "You can't be serious. This doesn't bother you _at all_?"

"Well, it does." _Finally_, he thought, _she's beginning to see reason_. "But I'm not sure how to stop it from freezing. Any ideas, nii-san?"

He would have yelled at her about avoiding the real issue if his phone hadn't started ringing, intent on distracting him. "Yoshida-san? Did you get a hold of Dai -"

"She did," an amused voice he would know anywhere greeted him instead of the expected one. "Are you okay, Hiro? Mom said you didn't sound too good. But that's my mom for you, always making something out of nothing."

Hiro would have made a quip about that being a report's _job_, but he was too relieved to hear his best friend's voice and all thoughts of being sarcastic flew out the window. "Where do I start?"

"The beginning would be nice," supplied Daichi oh-so-helpfully. Hiro laughed a little and then glanced at his sister. He couldn't really go about talking about the subject he wanted to over the phone, let alone with his sister in the room, so he settled for diverting the conversation.

"Well, my problems can wait. I'm more interested in finding out why your phone is disconnected. You never told me it would be a problem getting a hold of you."

"I never expected you to call in the dead of night, either," Daichi replied, still amused, "so we're even. And it's nothing, Hiro. I guess mom just forgot to pay the bill, don't worry about it. If you need to get a hold of me, just use the number I called you with tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Hiro agreed, mostly to make his friend happy. He didn't feel like pressing the matter when it seemed Daichi wouldn't be willing to talk. Not that he could say anything without being a hypocrite. He had a secret to hide, too. It wasn't one he wanted to keep, but it was his responsibility to do just that. _But maybe I'll tell Daichi. One of these days._ They couldn't keep secrets forever, could they? "I guess I'd better go get some sleep."

"Eh? But didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?"

The blonde smiled weakly. "Yeah, but it can wait." _If you're going to keep things from me, I have every right to tell you nothing._ "Good night, Daichi."

"Good night," Daichi echoed, but there was disappointment there.

"Don't worry," Hiro decided to use Daichi's own words against him because he didn't know what else to say, "it's nothing. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you then." He didn't particularly like the way his friend's voice broke, too much pent up emotion hiding behind that usually happy facade. Daichi was bad at that, locking everything away. But … _Am I really the one who upset him that much? _Before he could apologize, ask what was wrong, the line went dead and Hiro didn't think calling him back would solve anything. Not this time.

- XI -

There were only two things that could cause such a crushed expression to appear on her brother's face like that. Either Daichi had started something that could potentially drag out for days or the convenience store down the road had run out of bubble tea. Emiko was fairly sure the convenience store was closed this time of night. That left only Daichi as the culprit.

That being the case, she closed the game she was currently playing and opened up her brother's instant messenger. They had a wireless connector for the internet, which meant they were always online if the computer was on, so she used that to her advantage and brought up a pop-up window with Daichi's screen name. He apparently was online as well, though she couldn't quite figure out why there hadn't been a message meant for her brother yet. _Just what the hell is going on with you, lover boy?_ While her brother was busy moping on the floor, or possibly sleeping given the weird angle of his head, she typed out an IM for Daichi, clicked send, and waited as patiently as she could for a reply.

She belatedly remembered to turn the volume completely off after the little jingle played its self out and then read the response with growing annoyance. **What do you mean I have to apologize? I didn't do anything, Emiko, and don't think I don't know it's you.** That had been the whole point of the message to begin with, she thought, to make sure he knew it wasn't Hiro he was speaking with, but whatever. The important part of that was Daichi didn't seem to _want_ to be forgiven. How was she supposed to get anywhere with that kind of attitude? Given, she could just ask Hiro, but he was too busy lost in his own thoughts of woe and despair. She snorted a little, because her brother _could_ be a little melodramatic sometimes without even realizing it.

**Real astute, Yoshida. Now just answer the question: what did you do?** The answer to that was instantaneous, which kind of surprised her since he wasn't the typical person willing to talk this time of night. Usually he was all about the sleep. But there it was, in black and white: **Can we not talk about this with Hiro around? Meet me outside the subway station tomorrow morning. Well, if you don't mind being a little late for class.** Yeah, like Emiko _ever_ minded being 'a little late for class'. **I'll be there,** she typed quickly, noticing her brother beginning to stand. No doubt he was ready to find out what she had been up. What with the past few minutes spent in near silence, a rarity on any occasion unless pure disaster was about to strike, he had to realize something was going on.

She managed to exit out of the IM just as he leaned over her shoulder, asking the expected, "What are you doing?" To which Emiko merely shrugged, glanced his way, and smiled. He seemed even more suspicious with her nonchalance, but didn't bother to call her on it. Instead, he set his cell down on the desk, shrugged as well, and plunged face first into the nearby futon. "Wake me when it's time for school."

"Will do," she replied brightly, pushing away from the computer and enjoying a nice spin in the chair. "Oh hey, Hiro, before you sleep, you should probably know there's a ninja sneaking in through your window." It had been meant as a joke to make her brother paranoid all night like when they had been kids, but no sooner had she said it a little kid in black ninja gear made an entrance through a once locked window. Well, that thwarted all plans of it being a _joke_.

"Yeah, right. Just leave me alone, Emiko." Or at least that was what she guessed he had said. It was hard to tell with his face currently making best friends with a pillow.

"No, I'm not kidding," she tried in vain to warn him. There was a _ninja_ sneaking up on her brother, shouldn't there have been alarm bells going off somewhere? "Uh, nii-san, it's about to -" Her last feeble attempt at a warning was cut off as the little ninja of the night jumped straight onto her brother's back. Then, promptly made its self comfortable and pulled out a cup of tea from seemingly no where, but this was a ninja. Anything was possible with ninjas. "Who are you?"

"Hm, I'm disappointed. And I thought you were the smart one," the ninja chided in a high-pitched, little boy way. Emiko grinned and took the offered cup of tea being held out to her.

"Reborn!" At least they weren't in danger of being kidnapped by an elite force of secret agent-like ninjas; that was a relief. "What are you doing here?" She stressed the 'here', not sure what to make of their new _home tutor_ sneaking into this particular room in the middle of the night. "I thought you were having secret conversations with my dad or something."

"Oh, I was," assured Reborn, pulling down the fabric covering his mouth and calmly sipping at his tea. Emiko could already tell she was going to like this kid. "But then I figured I should make sure my students were sleeping like _good _little students. Which they aren't. What about yourself?" That was fast, turning the tables around so she was the one being interrogated. This kid was interesting.

"If no one's noticed," Hiro chose that moment to muffle out, severely lacking a little something called _air_, "I can't breathe!" This response was followed by some interesting gasping for air sounds. Reborn finally got up, allowed Hiro to gratefully roll over and suck in a deep breath, and then sat back down on the blonde's stomach causing said deep breath to be wheezed out. "Oh joy," was the dry comment that was neither appreciative of the small act of kindness or the fact that he was being allowed the much needed air.

"Nii-san," chided Emiko, but she needn't have bothered since Reborn took care of ungrateful people in his own more painful ways. Namely putting them in headlocks until they made funny noises again. Emiko wanted to learn that move. Just not to use on her brother. "Um, guys, not that it doesn't look like you're having fun," she interrupted the strangle-flail routine that was she was baring witness to, "but it's way past our bedtime. So …"

"Right." Reborn let go of Hiroyuki altogether, dusting off his hands. "Off to bed with you, then."

Emiko raised an eyebrow before rolling her eyes and laughing. "I meant you too, little guy. You might be some kind of genius, but you still need sleep." What she was not expecting was for the green cup in Reborn's hands to change into a green creature thing that morphed into a gun a split second later. That was just creepy. And really cool. "Woah, where can I get one of those?"

"Oh, this?" It didn't seem like the kid was intending to use the gun as a threat after all, since it changed back into the green creature thing and Reborn was petting it like any good pet owner would. "This is Leon."

"Is that short for chameleon? Real smart," commented Hiro in that I'm-so-asking-for-punishment sort of way lately. Must be a reflex or something; that was the only thing Emiko could guess. The retaliation to that comment was swift as the green little creature shifted into a spork and proceeded to spork her brother in a few places. _By itself_. Apparently it was truly and deeply offended by such a remark. "Ow, ow, okay, I give up! Leon is a really cool name and I'm not being sarcastic at all!"

As unintentionally sarcastic as that sounded, Leon still let up on his assault, turning back into his bright green self and curling up on the Hiro's chest. Emiko laughed at the confused look her brother was now wearing. "I like your pet, Reborn-chan. It's kind of funny." The little chameleon seemed to preen at the praise, but Reborn held up a hand.

"Ah, but Leon isn't my pet. He is my friend." Leon made a noise that Emiko could only associate with purring as it moved closer to the small, ninja disguised kid. "Now, weren't you heading to bed?"

The young girl was disappointed and wanted to stay longer, figure out what Reborn meant by Leon being a friend, but the dismissal was clear. "All right, all right. I'm going." She sulked the entire way to the door. "But it's not fair."

Reborn replied with an amused, "Nothing is ever fair, you'll learn that eventually. Goodnight." Her brother let out an undignified shriek, with the kid no doubt twisting his arm, and another goodnight joined the first. She muttered a sour one back and left, shutting the door louder than necessary. Thankfully neither her mother nor father came out of the room down the hall to correct her and so she loitered outside the door after making a show of stomping away.

"So why are you still here?" She heard her brother ask the tiny hitman warily. There was a moment of silence from within the room and then the reply finally came.

"Waiting," was the answer.

"Waiting for _what_?" She could just imagined how annoyed Hiro looked by now.

"For your sister to leave," continued the hitman like he was discussing the weather. Emiko flushed, even if they couldn't see her, and headed back to her room as if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. _How did he know? Mom always falls for that trick …_

- XI -

"Now then," Reborn was smirking. Hiro did not like a smirking Reborn. The kid was evil incarnate when he smirked. "That out of the way. I want to know what exactly that idiot father of yours said out in the hallway."

"You mean you don't know?" the blonde mocked in such a way as to appear shocked. "Are you sure you're a hitman?"Leon transformed back into a gun-like shape and Hiro gulped, wondering if he could take back what he said.

"I'm positive, ragazzo. And, as for your question. Unfortunately Hayato was talking non-stop about something troublesome and none of us could hear properly. A pity, really."

Storing that information away for later, intrigued by what troublesome could mean, Hiro offered a raised eyebrow and a curt response. "Why would you want to know what we were talking about, anyway? If my dad didn't tell you, why should I?"

A click resounded in the room as the safety of the makeshift gun turned its self off. "Because knowing that idiot, he said _something_." But Reborn didn't appear willing to say what that something could have been.

"I was only telling dad my decision, nothing more, nothing less. He then encouraged me to do my best and that was that." The blonde shifted uncomfortably where he was sitting. The kid next to him stared with such vacant eyes that Hiro didn't know what could possibly be going through that mind. It was an unnerving phenomenon. Usually he was pretty good at reading people, but not Reborn. Reborn just seemed to shut himself off without batting an eyelash. It kind of reminded him of Michi.

"And what was your decision?" the kid wanted to know, releasing Leon from his hold as the chameleon changed back. "If you're anything like your father, I think I can take a wild guess, though."

Hiro grimaced and looked away, staring off in the opposite direction. "Does it really matter?" He had told his father what he had thought without holding back, but telling someone else seemed different somehow. It was embarrassing. Was he maybe being too rash in his decision? His mind answered with an obvious _duh_.

"Of course it matters." And the way it was said, Hiro could imagine he had just been 'duh'ed in someone else's mind as well.

"Then I'll tell you what I told my dad." Hiro kept his gaze on the floor, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt for a lack of anything else to do. "I want to be the next boss." When nothing was said, the blond finally glanced in Reborn's direction. The kid was staring at him again, but this time it was more inquisitive, as if the tiny marksman had found a puzzle worth solving. "What?"

"You." The kid looked away at last. "Maybe this assignment won't be so pointless, after all. You're nothing like your father." For some reason, that stung, though Hiro didn't know why. "Well, if you really want to be a boss, then so be it." That smirk Hiro didn't like was back and the blonde gulped again. "Training starts in the morning."

"Great," Hiro didn't sound too thrilled.

For a second, it looked like Reborn had raised a hand to slap him and he flinched instinctively, but the hand landed in his hair, ruffling it much to Hiro's annoyance. "Goodnight, ragazzo."

Even more annoying was when he actually said goodnight back, and he didn't even have to be under pain to say it. That couldn't be a good sign. _Don't tell me I'm starting to _like_ that sadistic jerk._

- XI -

The morning arrived too early after such a long night. The curtains were still open, much to Hiro's sleepy mind's displeasure, light streaming in through the window and landing on his face. Once he was awake it was hard to fall back asleep. He had another hour before his alarm would go off, according to his clock, so he took advantage of it and logged on to his computer, determined to find out what Emiko had been up to last night. She had definitely been up to something; she was _always_ up to something. The problem was where to look. _Internet, maybe?_

He opened up his internet history and noticed the last activity was, indeed, last night. _What was she doing on my instant messenger?_ Going into his IM log, he found what he was looking for and didn't like it one bit. _So my best friend and little sister and meeting up without me? Yeah, because _that's_ perfectly normal._ He debated for a moment whether or not to follow them, but decided against it. If Daichi needed someone to talk to and that person wasn't him, he shouldn't be getting upset. _I'll go to school like normal and pretend like nothing's wrong. That's what I'll do._ He pushed away from the computer and started getting ready for his day, forcing his mind blank.

So what if he was a little jealous of his sister? It was his own fault Daichi didn't want to talk to him. He paused halfway through pulling on his uniform. That wasn't right. What had he done wrong? Nothing, that was what; it was Daichi who was keeping secrets. No, that wasn't right either. The problem was they both had a secret.

Finishing up with his uniform, he hurried to find a brush and comb his hair as the patter of feet out in the hallway signaled he was about to get an unexpected visitor. He was betting it was his sister, ready to make up an excuse on why they couldn't walk to school together. It was a good thing he wasn't betting money, he would have been broke as soon as the door slammed open.

"Ciaossu." Reborn was once more dressed in a small tuxedo, a fedora titled down to shade his face. The smirk was hard to hide and stood out as an ill omen for the day. "Training begins now."

For one fleeting moment, Hiro thought the book in the little kid's hands was meant as an actual study guide or something. But that thought proved false as soon as the kid opened the book and a cluster of knives made themselves known. The first one he managed to avoid, but the second, third and fourth grazed his skin in warning and he ducked just in time as the fifth went soaring over his head. All in all, Hiro had not been expecting a wake up call to involve near death experiences, but that was just what he was getting.

Once Reborn ran out of knives, Leon made a quick change into a gun and shot off what the tiny hitman called amateur shots. It took all of Hiro's concentration to avoid them, noting with annoyance that his body's slow reflexes were going to be the end of him if he didn't improve. Especially with this crazy kid running around trying to shoot him to death.

"You're distracted," Reborn stated grimly. "Either pay attention or I will kill you, ragazzo."

_Thanks for the encouragement_. The blonde rolled his eyes and then quickly hit the floor running in his haste to get to the door. "I've got school today! Can't we do this later?" _Or never,_ he added silently. He stood back up slowly, watching the hitman with cautious eyes. The gunshots had stopped for the moment, but the calculating gleam in those eyes didn't allow for a chance to relax.

"Fine," the hitman finally relented, letting go of Leon as he changed back into his bright green self. "But I'll be accompanying you to school for the day."

Hiro bit back a groan. At least it was better than being potentially killed after his fourteenth birthday, but at what cost? He made a grab for his book bag, slung it over his shoulder, and ran a quick hand through his hair to flatten it back down. He knew he probably looked like he had just gotten into a fight with a weed-whacker (and lost), but he didn't have time to change if he valued making it to school before the first bell. _Unlike some people,_ he thought with some form of bitterness. _He forgets my birthday, doesn't call, and when I finally get a hold of him, he tells me nothing! Acts like _I'm_ the idiot!_ He nearly ran into Emiko going down the stairs being so lost in thought.

"Ow, watch it, nii-san!" It was bad enough he clipped her with his backpack, earning a glare and a slap upside the head. She bounded up the stairs afterwards and out of sight. He watched her go until she was around the corner and then shook his head, suddenly sad and no longer angry. He was getting as bad as Daichi. Maybe it was for the best they spent some time apart.

"Did your sister do something wrong?" Reborn spoke up from where he was walking on the staircase railing, causing Hiro to jump, stumble down the last couple of steps, and land with an _oof_ at the base of the stairs. He should have known better than to forget the kid was following him. "You're a stupid kid. Hurry up and grab breakfast or I'll leave you behind."

Glad at the directional change in conversation, the blonde did just that, slipping into the kitchen and retrieving an apple from the fruit bowl on the table. He wished his mom good morning, ignored his dad snoozing next to a bowl of hot oatmeal (which leaned precariously and would no doubt end up in his hair), and then made a hasty escape to the front door.

- XI -

"Okay, Yoshida, spill," was the way Emiko greeted the dark haired judo member as soon as he stepped off subway train, face pale and eyes downcast. "You look like hell warmed over, by the way. Did you get _any_ sleep last night?"

Daichi didn't respond to the critique, another warning sign that something was wrong, and motioned for her to join him in a secluded corner. A place where they could talk in semi-private. "Not really," the older boy finally mumbled, slumping against the wall and letting his book bag fall to the ground. He palmed at his eyes, obviously trying to stay awake. "I was up all night, trying to … trying to figure things out," he finished lamely, even by Daichi standards.

"What kind of _things_ could keep you, of all people, up that late?" Emiko demanded, brown eyes brimming with rage. "You're not the only one who had a rough night, you know. Hiro, he …" She didn't know how to explain. "He has a lot on his shoulders right now and I think you scared him, not calling, not wishing him a happy birthday. He relies on you, Yoshida, and you just …" The younger Sawada gestured broadly with her hands. "You let him down!"

She expected him to yell, say she needed to mind her own business, but instead Daichi bowed his head, agreeing. "You're right, I let him down." His entire body was rigid and she had a feeling if he wasn't so tense he would have been shaking. Not knowing what she was doing, she reached out a hand and rested it on his shoulder. He seemed to relax a little, realizing he wasn't alone. "It's my fault, Emiko. I didn't … and if I had … I have to protect him." The mumbling made no sense, but she listened in silence, letting him get it off his chest. "But I can't. Because if I do, they'll … and he'll …" His voice broke and he stopped speaking.

Hiro always said Daichi came back different after visiting his uncle, but this was her first time seeing it in person. What had happened to cause such a change? Did she even want to know? Deciding that yes, she did want to know, damn the consequences, she plowed ahead, asking what needed asking. "What happened to you, Yoshida? What are you talking about?"

That snapped him out of it at least and Daichi came back to reality, still looking too somber and pale. "Emiko. It might not happen now, it might not happen until months from now, but sometime soon, there will be worse people than a Phantom Thief to deal with."

"How would you know anything - ?" Emiko didn't get a chance to finish as her upperclassman grabbed her by the arm, dragging her into a hidden alcove and looking around him with frantic eyes. "What are you doing?" she hissed, disliking the tight space and the uncomfortable position they were in.

"Be quiet," ground out Daichi irritably, "we're being watched."

- XI -

Hiroyuki was sulking. Not the typical, teenage, I-hate-my-life sulking either, though that might have had something to do with as well. Given he had found out only yesterday he was first in line for a mafia, it was understandable. But that wasn't all there was to it. Something felt wrong, like a shift in the balance of power, and it was speaking to him of danger. And not only that, but a little kid was following him to school and cheerfully humming Hilary Duff's _So Yesterday_.

He wanted to tear his hair out in exasperation.

"Would you cut it out, Reborn?" It was bad enough he recognized the song (his sister had gone on an oldies Western kick a while back), but it was mocking his sulky disposition and probably his fight with his best friend and he just couldn't handle that right now. "You're being a brat."

"_You're_ being a brat," corrected Reborn as he did a little back flip on the sidewalk. "I'm being perfectly professional."

_In a gymnast costume?_ Hiro wanted to ask, but he didn't. It would have earned him a slap or a kick or something worse no doubt. He shifted his book bag to distract himself, making a mental note to finish his homework in home room. _Let's see, I still have history, Japanese, bio …_ He went through the list of subjects he needed to work on and forgot about the world for a little bit.

"We're being followed," Reborn scolded for the benefit of his distracted student. "You could get yourself killed with the way you act, ragazzo."

"Huh?" Brow furrowed, the blonde glanced around uneasily. His gaze landed on someone familiar and he smiled, all suspicion gone. "Oh, that's just Nakamura-senpai. He goes to my school too." He waved at the senior, a bit shyly, and then continued walking. "He's captain of the archery club, everyone's idol," he stated wistfully, refusing to look back again. "I kind of wish I knew him better. He helped me and Emiko a while ago, but I don't think … well, I doubt he considers me a friend."

The tiny hitman scoffed and jerked his thumb back at the older boy in question. "Then why is he bothering to catch up with us?"

An eloquent "Huh?" was the response to that and Hiro looked over his shoulder in askance. Nakamura Michi was indeed running towards them at a rate that would have them meeting at the next intersection. Hiro slowed his pace, curious, and waited for the senior to catch up completely. "Senpai," the blonde greeted with a small smile. "Running late, aren't you?"

Michi took a moment to get his breath back, brushing stray locks of black, red-tipped hair out of his face. "You walk pretty fast, Sawada," retorted the upperclassman, straightening his shirt where it rode up and readjusting his backpack quickly. "And yeah, my alarm didn't go off this morning," the stoic captain shrugged, uncaring, "but I guess it works out, since I got to see you."

Unsure how to take that, Hiro decided on flattered and let his smile grow a bit more. "Yeah, well, it's good to see you too, senpai."

"Don't misunderstand," the captain continued in what seemed like haste, but wasn't when associated with this particular person. Everything was slow and deliberate when it came to Nakamura Michi, the archery captain not one to be easily flustered. "I wanted to speak to you about something and I didn't think it would be this easy."

"Okay," Hiro went along with what the older boy was saying, even if it did leave him baffled, "what did you want to talk about?"

"Your birthday," stated Michi uncomfortably, and then his darker than black eyes settled on Reborn and widened fractionally. "Who's this? Your little brother?"

The blonde stopped walking out of shock, not registering anything but one thing. _Nakamura-senpai knows my birthday?_ Then he realized that might not be such a good thing. "What about my birthday?" Hiro asked cautiously, but was interrupted as Reborn jumped onto his shoulder, tugging on a lock of his messy hair. "Ow, Reborn!"

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend or not, ragazzo?"

"Um, Reborn, Nakamura-senpai. Nakamura-senpai, Reborn." The blonde gestured to the tiny hitman and decided a little white lie was in order. "He's my … uh, cousin. Visiting from overseas." It didn't sound very convincing, but it was enough and Michi nodded as if accepting it as truth.

"Cute kid," commented the captain and then changed the subject back to what he wanted to say in the first place. "So, about your birthday. I suppose I missed the celebrations, but I do have a gift for you." Hiro couldn't help but brightened a little at the prospect of a gift. It meant he was beginning to get pass the aloof demeanor Michi always wore, making an impact on him, slowly building a friendship he could look back on and be proud of. "Could you meet me at the clubhouse after school? I know today's not a practice day, but I don't think the soccer team will mind the two of us."

"Sure!" Hiro agreed readily. "But how did you know about my birthday?"

Michi looked as if he wanted to smile. "I overheard Yoshida raving about it. What did he get you for your birthday, anyway?" It was said with such nonchalance that Hiro didn't even think to question it. The mention of Daichi might have had something to do with that, though.

"He … that is, he …" Hiro floundered with how to explain without putting his best friend in a bad light. "He's out of town," the blonde settled for hesitantly, "I haven't seen him since the day before."

"Oh, that's too bad," Michi didn't sound like it was 'too bad' at all. "Well, I hope his gift is well worth the wait. I promise mine won't be late next year, Sawada, if that's any consolation."

Hiro shrugged, but there was a grin tugging at his lips. "I'll hold you to that, senpai, don't forget."

"I won't."

Annoyed at being treated as if he weren't there, Reborn tugged on the blonde's hair again in an effort to redirect the attention. "Oi, if you don't want to be any later than you already are, I suggest you two stop chatting and start walking."

Letting out a short, "Hiiiie," Hiro took off in the direction of the school with Michi by his side, the older boy out-right smiling at his antics. He could get use to running to school if it meant earning a smile from his senpai every once in a while.

- XI -

A young brown haired girl screamed as a blade cut into her arm, running for all she was worth as the knife clattered to floor. A dark haired boy hot on her heels tried to protect her as best he could from the onslaught of sharp projectiles, but it was hard to do when he was trying to protect his own vitals as well. "Run faster, Emiko, the exit's just ahead!" She fell out of the exit like a baseball player sliding into home base. He couldn't resist cracking a small smile as he pulled the door shut, the _thump, thump, thump_ as knifes embedded into the door behind him not putting him off. He shouted with a laugh, "Safe!"

Then he grabbed the dazed girl's arm and dragged her along, sprinting as far away as he could from the subway. The door behind them blasted off its hinges and an angry roar signaled they were still being pursued. They didn't dare look back.

"Who. The. Hell. Was. That?" panted the girl, holding her side with a pained look on her face. "They nearly killed!"

"Still could kill us," suggested Daichi. He ducked behind a nearby dumpster and pulled Emiko with him. "Now be quiet. Let's see if we can't get rid of that nasty girl with the knives."

"You have a plan?" Emiko didn't bother to hide her shock.

The dark haired judo boy grimaced. "You don't have to sound so surprised." Grudgingly he admitted, "Well, it's sort of a plan, but it's not going to work if you keep talking."

"What do you mean, 'sort of a plan', lover boy? It either is or it isn't."

They both fell silent as the crazy girl chasing them came into sight, four knives in each hand and a dull expression on her face. Her eyes, a deep ocean blue, were blank, no spark of life left behind in them. If she hadn't been coming after them like a raving lunatic, they would have mistaken her for a zombie. Then again, it was all too feasible she was after their flesh and blood. She was doing a good impression of the living dead and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

Daichi felt around on the ground, searching for something, and when he found it, he gripped it tight. Then, pitching his arm back, he sent the whatever-it-was flying in the opposite direction, down a side alley that would lead the girl away from them. The noise drew the attention of their psycho stalker and she went off to explore the alley with careful, measured steps. She barely made a sound as she walked, as if her feet weren't touching the ground. Emiko shivered, thinking _ghost_. Her brother probably would have a better explanation, but she didn't.

A tug on her hand drew her attention back to the fact they needed to escape now or they would not be given another opportunity. The girl would come back and, by then, they would be trapped with no where to run. Without a word to each other, the two of them hurried down the street and hung a right at the first alleyway they came to that wasn't a dead end. As soon as they were out of the other side of alley and closer to school, they took off running. "We are _so_ late," Daichi remarked cheerfully, back to his old self now that they had survived a could-have-died moment. "I bet Hiro's worried sick about you."

"And you," grumbled Emiko, speeding up her pace in hopes of leaving the judo geek in the dust. No such luck, he kept up with her almost effortlessly. Stupid jocks and their training. "I don't get it. If you can run from a psycho and laugh about it, why can't you just talk to Hiro? He isn't exactly scary, you big idiot."

Daichi faltered mid-step and nearly face-planted into the street, but he caught himself in time and kept going with a renewed vigor. "I just can't. It's not that easy, Emiko. He wouldn't … he wouldn't understand."

"He wouldn't understand how much you like him?" Emiko fished for information, mentally patting her self on the back when a light dusting of red lit up Daichi's tanned cheeks.

"That's not it at all, Emiko!" yelled the judo member maybe a little too loudly. _Bingo_, the girl thought victoriously. "You've got it wrong. I like him, sure. As a friend," he hurried to add with a glare, willing that smirk off the girl's face. "But this is about … it's about more than that. Someone is planning to hurt Hiro and I can't do anything about it without -" He stopped himself from going into further detail. "Anyway, what I want to know is … when the time comes, and I can't do anything, will _you_ do something?"

Emiko wondered why he had to bother to ask. "Of course I'll give my all! Idiot." She would have smacked him upside the head if she wasn't as concentrated on staying on her feet as she was at the moment. "I'm his sister and he's my brother. It's in my blood to look out for him."

"Good." One word spoken with such relief that Emiko felt her heart go out to the older boy and she wished she could say something to reassure Daichi that everything was going to be okay. Instead, their shoulders brushed and they shared a smile. It was enough. "Thanks, Emiko."

For some reason, despite years of fighting and disagreeing, they had become a part of each other's life and they knew who they had to thank for that. The same person they would protect with everything they had.

- XI -

Lunch was awkward. Hiro kept avoiding Daichi like the plague, Daichi kept leaning precariously over the railing admiring the drop, and Nico had chosen today of all days to join them for lunch like he was prone to doing from time to time. Emiko wasn't impressed at all. "Hitomi, boys are idiots."

The dark haired girl looked ready to agree, but caught herself when Hiro glanced their way, eyebrows raised. "What was that, sister dearest?"

"You heard me," she snapped, glaring daggers at her oblivious brother. "What the hell is wrong with you today? Daichi's back and you're ignoring him like he's done you a horrible wrong! I'll say it again: boys are idiots!"

"We are not!" argued Hiro petulantly, hands on his hips. He hadn't even bothered to fake-eat his lunch and Emiko knew he was itching for a reason to leave. She wasn't going to give it to him.

"Fine," she conceded, "not all boys are idiots." She glanced reproachfully at Daichi. "Right, Yoshida?"

The dark haired judo boy seemed to get the hint. "Right," Daichi agreed warily, turning to face Hiro and locking eyes with the shorter boy. "Right," he said again, as if to convince himself of that fact, and then continued on in a rush. "Look, Hiro, I'm sorry about last night, I was just out of it and I didn't mean to upset you, but I had a lot going on and I guess you did too and it was just a really bad time and I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Hiro stared for a while, gauging the sincerity behind those words, and then broke their eye contact with a long-suffering sigh. "I didn't understand a word you just said." When he looked back at the incredulous face of his best friend, he grinned slightly. "But I think you kind of said sorry twice."

In response, Daichi flashed a winning smile like he had been expecting that all along. "We're good then?"

"We were never not good," Hiro stated flippantly with a dismissive wave of his hand, leaning back against the railing. "You worry too much."

Emiko snorted derisively, mumbling _yeah, right _and something about boys being ridiculous. She glanced over at Nico from behind her eyelashes and noticed how rigid her classmate's posture had become. With the two best friends on speaking terms again, he was left out. Rolling her eyes, she took a bite out of her tuna roll and waved her bento box in the direction of the Italian kid. "See, Hitomi, boys are stupid. Those two don't even realize how jealous they make people."

This time Hitomi had no trouble agreeing. "You're right of course, Emiko-sama." The brown haired Sawada twitched at the honorific, but said nothing. At least Hitomi was beginning to use their individual names now, more so than she had in the past. "But are you sure it's just the boys?"

Emiko had no reply for that ready and shrugged, offering out her bento to the other girl. "Dunno. But anyway, I've got a lot to ask you about some things. And no, it has nothing to do with what you're being all cryptic about. Spend the night at our place tonight?"

"Okay," answered the older girl demurely, bowing her head out of respect for her boss's daughter. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."

"Or two," Emiko grumbled, starting up a chopsticks war with Hitomi. She already knew she would win, mostly because her friend had a habit of losing on purpose. They were going to have a serious talk tonight about that and all this subservient crap. Enough was enough.

- XI -

If there was one thing better than making up with your best friend after a petty fight, it was getting a gift from that very same best friend and having them look at you in that way that only a best friend can. All soft eyes and quirky, irreplaceable smiles. It made everything worth it. The fights, the confusion, everything. Because you knew there was someone out there in that confusing world that still cared, that you still cared about, and despite it all you hadn't gotten lost within that confusion and let it change you.

"Do you like it?" Daichi asked nervously. It was obvious the judo member was taking the silence as a bad sign, afraid they were going to start arguing any minute now. Not an unjustifiable fear given they had been on shaky ground lately for reasons they themselves couldn't understand. "I … well, it's a family heirloom. I couldn't think of anyone better than you to give it to."

Hiro rolled the ring between his fingers, admiring it. There was a golden chain attached to it, which was more his style than wearing rings, and Daichi had remembered that too. But a family heirloom. How could his friend so easily give one of those away? His frown must have given him away because Daichi seemed to pick up on it and assured him it was a heirloom that was meant to be passed on to someone else, someone you truly cared about, someone you wanted to protect.

"It's from my mother's side," Daichi explained with a certain fondness to his voice. "Mom gave it to me before she left, said I had to give it to someone important, and that I would know what to do with it …" He shook his head, clearing it, and smiled sheepishly as he went on. "But that's not all, 'cause I don't do sentimental _without _a good cause in mind, so yeah." A box of chocolates was flourished in front of the blonde, taken from behind Daichi's back. "I figured I owed you some candy," he stated smugly, "and _you_ owe me a pocket knife."

Brown eyes widened and Hiro slapped himself on the forehead. "I completely forgot about that! You'll to come over sometime so I can give that back to you."

"How about tonight?" suggested Daichi brightly, grabbing the necklace out of his friend's hands and slipping it over the blonde's head. "Looks good on you," he commented dismissively and started for his next class. "So how about it? Okay if I spend the night?" He tapped the box of candy against his friend's chest, flashing a smile. "Call it returning a favor?" the dark haired boy mimicked his friend's words from a few days ago.

Grumbling something about wise guys and their stupid jokes, Hiro nodded reluctantly. "Oh sure, bribe me and _then_ ask me that. I see how you work, Yoshida."

"You know you love me," cheekily replied the taller boy, ducking into his biology class with a laugh when Hiro tried to swat his arm. "Better get to home economics," Daichi sing-songed, "before you're late, Hiro-chan." Hiro flushed an angry red in the classroom doorway, glaring. "And I expect my cookies _not_ to be burnt this time."

This earned a few sniggers from Daichi's classmates and the blonde turned in a huff, completely missing Fujihara Yuko and her furious look following his retreating back. Daichi didn't and frowned in the direction of the girl he had once thought he liked. It was about time he had that conversation with her, concerning a lot of things. "Yuko, can we talk?" She was pleased enough with that development and he almost felt bad for what he was about to do. Almost. _Happy belated birthday, Hiro-chan._

- XI -

With the day progressing the way it was for the better, Hiro had more or less forgotten about a certain child-like assassin that had followed him to school today. So when the kid had appeared out of no where, dangling from the ceiling like a spy and wearing the tethered rope to prove it, the blonde was taken off guard and screamed. Though he would later deny that he had shrieked like a little girl.

"Reborn, stop trying to give me a heart attack! What the _hell_?"

It was thankfully time for school to let out and that left only a few stranglers to witness his mortification. He clutched at his chest, willing his heart to calm down. "Have you seriously been here all day?" he questioned in a low voice, glowering up at the hitman. "Because that's kind of creepy and I'm telling dad."

An amused curl of the lips gave the child assassin away. "Go right ahead, I'm sure he won't be surprised." Reborn paused and unlatched the tether keeping him up in the air, landing gracefully on the ground after showing off with a back flip. A quick tug on the zipper for his spy costume and it gave way to reveal a Russian acrobat get-up. "Ready for part two of training?" the boy asked innocently enough.

Hiro wasn't fooled. "If you're going to try and kill me again, could you have the courtesy to wait until _after_ I meet with senpai and snag Daichi for the walk home?" Unconsciously he fiddled with the necklace his best friend had given him, wishing Daichi were somewhere close by. At least then Reborn would presumably _not_ kill him.

"When did you get that?" There was suspicion in the otherwise calm voice of the hitman.

The blonde looked down at the silver ring in his hand, smiling. "Dai gave it to me after lunch."

"… Interesting." Reborn stood up on his tip-toes and pulled at the chain, forcing Hiro to lean forward or end up choked. "That was nice of him. Did he tell you anything about this ring?"

"Just that it's a family heirloom," Hiro said, unconcerned.

"Wear it every day," demanded the miniature hitman. "And I think you should consider inviting this boy into the Family."

Smile playing at his lips, Hiro pointed out, "But Daichi is _already_ a part of the family."

"Not family," Reborn stressed, "but _Family_. He would do well as a right-hand man."

"W-What?" The boy stumbled over himself, dropping his hand from the ring. "You mean … but I can't!"

"You want to be the boss, don't you?" Reborn raised an eyebrow. "Then start acting like one. You'll need Guardians and he has promise."

"What would you know?" wondered the blonde, still skeptical.

"Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

Hiro was about to say yes, that would be nice, but stopped. _Was he spying on my best friend too?_ That was creepier than just spying on one person. "All right, fine, I'll talk to Daichi about it. What's a Guardian, anyway?" Secretly he was thinking more along the lines of _Yeah, right. Like I'll let my best friend get involved with the mafia_, but decided voicing those thoughts would only end in pain. Still could, to be honest, if Reborn went and did that whole mind reading thing again.

"A Guardian is -" But whatever a guardian was, Hiro didn't get to find out.

A tall boy in a white judo uniform was running toward them, grinning, and that was enough to successfully interrupt what could have been an enlightening conversation. "Yo, Hiro! Waiting for me?"

Reborn hopped onto the blonde's shoulder, studying the newest addition with intelligent eyes. "You like fighting?"

"Sure do, kid." The judo member turned toward Hiro with a curious look on his face. "Some other cousin I don't know about?" he hazarded, pointing at Reborn to get his message across.

"Something like that," evaded Hiro, glancing away. "So, uh, what's with the uniform? I thought judo didn't have practice today."

"We don't," Daichi assured, "I just felt like keeping up with my routine. Good for the body and all that."

"Hm, you should teach that kind of resolve to this one." Reborn flicked the side of the blonde's neck, hard, causing the boy to wince and close his eyes in pain. "He's hopeless."

"Tell me about it," teased the dark haired boy, eyes alight with mischief. "So ready to head home, Hiro?"

"_My_ home, you mean," Hiro concluded, exasperated. "Yeah." Then, remembering something, he pulled a face. "Ah, wait, not yet. I have to meet Nakamura-senpai. He has …" One of those annoyingly intuitive feelings decided to sneak up on him, telling him _not_ to finish that sentence.

"He has what?" prompted Daichi obliviously.

"He just has some news about an upcoming tournament he wanted to talk to me about," finished the blonde hesitantly.

Daichi picked up on that and gave him a strange look. "All right. I guess I can suffer through an archery meeting. Won't take too long will it?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Actually, Hiro was pretty sure his best friend _shouldn't _tag along. The last time Michi and Daichi had been alone together, they had given each other quite a few bruises to remember each other by. "It won't take long," he promised, hoping his friend would drop the idea of coming with him.

It appeared that he did, but the frown proved he didn't like it one bit. "If you're sure. See you by the school gates then?"

"Always," grinned the blonde, waving. "See ya!" Halfway down the hall, Reborn slapped him upside the head. "Ow, what was that for?"

"You forgot to ask him to be your Guardian." Hiro didn't believe that was the only reason, not by a long shot.

- XI -

The clubhouse was quiet, not a soul in sight, causing Hiro to call out a nervous, "Anyone here?" Two rows over, a locker creaked and then shut with an audible bang. Michi appeared around the corner, bow in hand and clothed in the traditional gi. He looked as if he had just finished changing. "Eh, senpai?" When they locked eyes, there was a determined glint to the captain's dark ones.

"I see you brought your cousin," noted the older boy, switching his gaze to the tiny hitman on the other's shoulder. "Could he wait outside while we talked?"

"Um, Reborn, could you …?"

A derisive snort escaped the kid, but he hopped off Hiro and headed for the door, clapping his hands. The clap must have been a signal because Hiro caught a distinctive flash of green and the door was opening of its own accord. Michi didn't even glance over, back to appraising his club member and refusing to be distracted. "I'm glad you came."

"Why wouldn't I?" Hiro kept his tone light, offering a half-hearted smile. "Are you practicing by yourself today, senpai?" _Man, I should probably start doing that. Between him and Dai, I'm don't know who's making me look worse._

"I was hoping you would join me …?" The dark haired captain gestured to the door. "You don't have to change. Or grab your bow. I have a surprise for you."

Hiro nodded and trailed after the older boy as they headed to the practice range. They had limited space on the field, the soccer team taking up the majority, but it was enough for a close-range shot. He watched, admittedly fascinated, as Michi notched the arrow, going through the movements, releasing the bowstring at the opportune moment. Seeing the captain's form up close was a lot different than watching it from across the field and Hiro admired the grace behind it. So much self-assurance, so much pride in each calculated shift of the shoulders, each easy manipulation of the bow. Nakamura Michi was born to be an archer, of that Hiro was sure.

"Want to try?" And that same bow was being held out to him, the bow Michi always used and refused to let others to touch. It took a moment for Hiro to realize he was being asked a question and blushed, reaching out to take the bow after a stammered yes.

He went through the same motions as the captain. His muscles more tense and his body rigid with expectation. He wanted to impress the older boy and it was making it harder to focus. "Relax, Sawada. I'm not expecting a bull's eye." It may not have sounded like a joke, but it did the trick to get rid of how anxious he felt. Though, yeah, it probably should have felt more insulting than it actually did.

As he let go of the bowstring, he exhaled, releasing all tension at once, and smiled when it hit the board right next to Michi's arrow in the center ring. It wasn't bad for a shot he had been practically shaking through, but he knew he could do better. "Your bow feels really light, senpai. What's it made of?" He made a show of flexing it between his right and his left, enjoying the balanced feel in his palms. A bow like this had to be expensive.

"Fiberglass," confirmed the captain, inadvertently proving just how expensive it was. "I have three like it, but this one is my favorite." _He has _three_ of them? _Hiro wondered just how rich his captain had to be to afford that, or more correctly, how rich his parents had to be to afford that. "And I want you to have it."

Hiro was fairly sure he had misheard. "You what?" The bow slipped out of his hands and hit the ground, the string snapping from the impact. That could be easily fixed, but his eyes went wide with fear, catching a flicker of annoyance across Michi's face.

"Really, kouhai, do you always have to make me repeat myself?"

A laugh caught in the blonde's throat. "No, I just … you can't be giving this to me. You don't _have_ to give this to me."

"It's of no concern," Michi crossed his arms, eyes narrowing in thought as he observed the younger archer. "Or do you not like it when compared with _his_ present?"

Automatically, a hand went to grip the ring hanging from his necklace protectively, though Hiro didn't know why. "Are you talking about Daichi? How did you know …?"

"Fujihara's been spreading rumors," answered the captain impassively. "What did you expect was going to happen when he broke it off with her?"

"_What?"_ Now that was news to him. Why hadn't Daichi mentioned it? "Look, I don't know what you heard, but it's _not true._ Yuko-san has it out for me."

"As in wants to hurt you?" The captain took a step closer and Hiro instinctively backed up. Another step forward, another step back. They kept it up until the blonde felt his back hit a wall, the school now behind him, blocking any further retreat. "Yes, I think she does. Do you have any idea why she would want to do that, Sawada?" Michi slammed a hand against the wall, right next to the blonde's messy mop of hair.

"She's jealous?" Hiro supplied uneasily, but he didn't tear his gaze away from the heated one above him. Michi was acting weird and he didn't trust the boy not to lash out. "I-I don't know. She just doesn't like me."

"She _hates_ you," corrected Michi, "and it has nothing to do with Yoshida." The older archer gave pause and considered it for a second. "Well, it doesn't have everything to do with Yoshida. I'm pretty sure of that."

"What do you mea -" Another hand slammed against the wall, stopping the question in its tracks. Hiro gulped and slumped heavily against the building behind him. He glanced from side to side, taking in the seclusion of the place, a perfect place to hide a body. They had ended up behind a cluster of trees, large sakura trees that hid the two of them from view. This couldn't end well. "Look, senpai, I'm sorry -"

"Be quiet," the captain hissed, glancing furtively off to the side. "Someone's coming." The way it was said, Hiro was pretty sure that this someone wasn't a good someone.

A split second later and that theory was proven correct as his body hit the ground, forced to do so when a knife went soaring over his head to smack into the wall. He caught sight of a girl with coffee-colored skin running towards them, but his arm had already been grabbed and he was off and running now too.


End file.
